Perfectly Imperfect
by kehkanSKlover
Summary: Sakura is new to Domino High. With high aspirations and a dedication to work she leaves little time for friendship and less patience for interruptions. Always hard at work, it's no surprise that she'd catch the eye of the famous Seto Kaiba. OCxKaiba
1. Chapter 1

**This is set before Seto Finds out that Yugi's grandfather has the Blue Eyes White Dragon. So way at the beginning. Also, I'm using the American version of the anime. Also, rating may change. I'm trying to keep it clean for a change, but I may fall into my old ways.  
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Chapter 1

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The school wasn't as glorious as her last, but Sakura didn't really care. It's advanced programs were the best of the best, thanks to a certain young CEO's funding's for his own education. All of her business classes and calculus classes were of the best caliber and she didn't even have to pay for them. The only downside was her advanced art classes suffered, as he only funded the ones he was interested in. Looking at the tile ceiling, she shrugged. At least she would have one fly-by class.

Students began filling into the classroom. It was her study hall, and her art teacher always let her leave early to get a head start on the work she had to do for her business, calculus, and numbers and statistics classes. A few students took up seats to her left and moved the desks to face each other. They pulled out some decks and began laughing loudly and playing games. More and more students came in and filled the class around her. No one really wanted to sit next to the new girl, and left the seat to her right open.

Sakura filled in a few questions on the homework packet her calculus teacher gave her to do earlier, but was finding it hard to concentrate with the yelling and laughing and loud conversation going on to her left. Suddenly the room went quiet as someone entered.

'Finally. Now maybe I can get some work-' She almost thought to herself.

"Ey, Kaiba! Wanna duel!" The blonde boy to her left shouted over her to the boy taking the seat to her right. Did she really have to suffer through this? Couldn't he walk over to the person and politely ask like a normal human being? She heard the boy to her right chuckle quietly to himself, then looked at him as he shook his head dismissively and proceeded to ignore the boy.

'Wait... Kaiba? Seto Kaiba? Huh... I thought he'd look older...' She thought, scanning the boy. It might have simply been because he was supposed to be one of the richest and most successful CEO's. It was only natural to believe he would be older.

"Hey, I'm talking ta you." The boy said, beginning to move around the seats and approach Kaiba.

"I'm busy, besides, you should play against someone with your own skills. Like a guppy, or an ant." He said sarcastically.

"Why you-"

"Joey, sit down, if he doesn't want to play you, I will." Another boy from the table said. Sakura sighed, and noticed Kaiba do the same. They were both busy, and neither needed the distractions. She filled out half another sheet of work when a paper ball flew across her face, landing in the aisle between her and Kaiba. Her knuckles cracked around her pencil and she looked up at the table of gamin kids. She heard Kaiba stop clicking away at his laptop and was sure he had looked up as well.

"Heh, sorry." Sakura glared at them. She really needed to finish as much as she could. She had work that night, and she knew if she didn't finish it now, it wouldn't get done. She returned to her papers, thinking if she wasted anymore time on berating them that she would have no time left for more important tasks. That and they probably wouldn't get it.

A few seconds later Kaiba's keyboard started typing again, then stopped once more. It didn't take long for Sakura to find out why as a second paper ball ricocheted off of him and hit her pencil. Everyone went silent except for a 'Is that really smart Joey?' whisper from one kid to the blonde boy who looked pleased. Kaiba closed the lid to his laptop and began standing, but froze when Sakura slammed her pencil down and turned on the group.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Were your parents monkeys?" She asked, raising her voice, but only a little. "This may be a recess for you, but some people actually have some work to do. You know, so we can get good grades and go to college, and I'm sure I wont see you there." Kaiba didn't usually like when people fought his battles, but she was damned amusing, and he supposed it was somewhat of her battle too.

"Lighten up, sheesh." A brunette said, standing next to the blonde.

"I'll lighten up when I'm done being busy. Which will never happen so long as you fools keep throwing things and being completely annoying and distracting." She wasn't usually one to get angry, but with the move, the classes, the job, everything she did and gave up to be successful piling onto her and adding stress she wasn't used to, she couldn't help but to explode on them.

"You jerks, you all think you're better than us because you got no sense of humor and you waste your whole life away bein miserable." The blond said, taking a step forward.

"Think we're... You moron. I _know_ I'm better than you. You say I'm wasting my life, and what are you doing? Playing games and fooling around while the people around you learn and grow. If ever there was a reason I'd be better than you, it's because you don't try. You want to stop being a nothing? Fix yourself." With that Sakura gathered her things and exited the room. She walked part of the way down the hall and stopped.

'What a great impression you're making... First week, and you're calling people names and treating them like ass...' She berated herself. 'Maybe... Maybe I should apologize.' She turned on the spot, intent on going back in the classroom, but someone was behind her and she nearly ran into him. Her eyes trailed upwards until they met a pair of icy blue ones.

"You're... Kaiba." She stated the obvious.

"Very observant. I had figured you were leaving that classroom to find a more peaceful place to do your work, but now it looks like you want to go back into that hell hole." He said curiously. Why would anyone who felt the way she, and he did, ever want to return there?

"I... I think I went too far... I'm not usually like that...They were just so-"

"Immature? Annoying? Unbearable?" He helped her finish. She nodded and he scoffed. "It was going to be said, whether you did it yourself or I did." He said, somehow making her feel better. She nodded, but frowned, now facing a different dilemma. He looked at her questioningly, but devised the issue himself. "You hadn't planned on where to go after leaving, had you?" He asked, knowing he was right. She gave him a brief nod, and he moved around her. "There's a classroom the teachers let me use to study in private. If you can keep quiet, you're welcome to use it as well." He offered, moving down the hall without her and not really caring if she followed.

The classroom she entered was empty and he took a seat in middle of the far left lane of desks, along the wall. She sat in the seat next to him and began finishing her calculus packet. There wasn't much left to be done, but she also had some numbers and statistics work to do, and then a drawing to complete for art class.

Fifteen minutes before the class ended all she had left to do was her art work. She pulled out her sketch book and flipped it open to a blank page. Then... nothing. She thought for a good three minutes before becoming frustrated and beginning to tap her eraser on the desk. Normally she was quicker than this with conceptualizing her art, but every thought that came to mind was shot down by general apathy towards the notion.

"Stop that." She heard Kaiba command and jumped a little. She had almost forgotten that he was there.

"Sorry." She murmured, pulling the eraser into her mouth to keep it from making noise. She chewed on it a little and heard him close his laptop. She stared at the blank page intently, sure that if she focused hard enough, a good idea would present itself.

"... What are you doing?" Seto was bored as all hell. He had not only finished his school work, but the meeting he was holding between Kaiba Corp. and EnLi Corp. was completely planned out and their offers and demands were notarized. He finally had nothing to do. The girl glanced up at him, still chewing on the pencil slightly, then back to the paper before her.

"I'm trying to think of what to draw for my art assignment." She explained.

"Isn't there some sort of guideline?" He asked. Usually teachers who wanted something specific would let their requests be known to the students. It was basic common sense.

"Yes... but... I don't know what to go with. We've got to draw a famous person in a setting that isn't natural to them... Like Napoleon Bonaparte in a cyborg war... or Nobunaga riding a unicorn through a field of lolipops... But... that all sounds... stupid." He thought for a moment, watching her tap her lower lip with the eraser, the smirked.

"And what about me?" He asked. The girls eyes slowly wandered back to him. "What scenario would you put me in?" He was sure he already knew. It wasn't a big secret that almost all of the girls in school would have a field day putting him into their misguided little fantasies. He watched the girl raise an eyebrow and felt his confidence waver.

"Isn't your face... I don't know, Copyrighted?" He would have burst out laughing if he was any other person, but instead showed his amusement through a quiet chuckle. Any other girl would either blush and look away, or tell him intricately what they would do to him. This one was interesting.

"Not if I allow it. So, what would you draw me as?" He was now completely curious. He had only suggested it the first time out of boredom, but this girl was intriguing him.

"Hmmm... Oh! I know... Hold still." Kaiba frowned. He glanced at the clock as she began scrawling on the paper, and holding it so that he couldn't see it. There was only ten minutes left.

"Dont worry." She said, somehow reading his mind, "I'm good at human faces, I wont need you in just a minute." She said, working hastily and glancing between him and the notepad. He didn't like that she wasn't telling him what she was planning, but decided to just wait, sure that she would show him after she was finished.

The bell went off after the ten minutes ran their course and still he had no word from the girl. He looked at her expectantly as she closed the sketchpad and began to gather her things.

"Well?" He stared at her as she rose to start for the door. She moved towards the exit, and glanced back at him once.

"When it's finished." She smiled and left. She was interesting indeed.

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><p>Kaiba spent the rest of the night as he would usually. Thoughts of the girl disappeared once he left the school, and were replaced with thoughts of work, homework and Mokuba. The next day he woke and readied himself for school. He didn't have to go in at the same time the other students entered, as the school allowed him the first to classes off in exchange for him training their graphical arts department on the use of his holographic technology. The school wasn't too bad with the two teachers he was training. They weren't completely incompetent, so it didn't bother him much.<p>

He got to the school just before the first block ended, leaving the halls empty for a few minutes while he navigated to the fine arts computer lab. He rounded the corner and started into the art rooms, which were only separated by make shift walls of art. The area was more of a forty by forty foot block of open space, but the teachers had placed desks, bookshelves and fake walls up to make three rooms out of it.

"Well, It is certainly well done, but I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed. Kaiba? Really?" Seto paused. He was barely ten feet into the art rooms and his name had already been said. He took a step back, glancing past a rack of drawings that divided a section of the room apart as a hallway, and saw an art teacher holding up a familiar notepad. Just beyond her was the same girl from before. "I expected a lot of these to be him, but yours? You seemed like... well, not a fan girl." The girl's shoulders drooped and she took the sketchpad back, looking hurt.

"I'm not a fan girl..." She said in a false whine, trying to stop herself from laughing. "I couldn't think of anything else." She said and he smirked. He knew it was true.

"Neither could they." The teacher glanced around the room, eyes scanning the countless pictures of him. He frowned as he did the same. At least three out of four of the picture were of him. Some done exceedingly well, and others were... embarrassing. Still, all of the different drawings were unsettling.

"But that's because they're obsessed with the guy. I just happened to sit next to him one day." She sighed and looked over her drawing as the teacher chuckled and walked away. Seto moved into the classroom and glanced over her shoulder, finally seeing the drawing himself.

It was clearly him, striking a valiant pose while wearing elegant plate armor, the shoulder of which was fashioned as the head of a blue eyes white dragon. He held a great sword, a cape and crown, and his setting was a lush field before a wondrous castle. It was exactly what he had wanted.

"Not bad." He said, scaring the girl half to death as she shrieked and turned to face him. The class went silent and all eyes were on him. She sighed heavily and glanced up at him.

"You know, a little warning next time?" She said frustratedly. He smirked.

"Are you ok?" He asked sarcastically, and she glared up at him.

"Ask me when my heart starts beating again." She said, comically holding her chest and faking like a heart attack. The bell rang, ushering her to her things, but he didn't leave.

"I'll buy it from you." He said, still behind her. She stopped, as did the rest of the class, waiting to see what would happen.

"What? No, my art isn't for sale." His brow furrowed. She could seriously be saying something was not for sale to him. He was the richest man in the country. There was a price on that piece, he just had to play hardball to find it.

"One hundred." He said, starting low and content on working his way up.

"Listen, we both know you're smarter than that. I meant what I said. I put my everything into my art. My heart and soul. There's no price you could put on it." He knew she was wrong.

"Two hundred." She sighed and continued putting things in her bag. "... Four hundred." Four hundred dollars? For a sketch? Was he losing it? No. That's the thing. He was losing. He never lost. He had a point to make now, and he would find the price. She smirked up at him with her backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Sorry buster, No deal." She left the art rooms and he started after her before remembering that he was needed in the computer room. He growled as he turned away and moved farther into the rooms.

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**So... This is my first OcxKaiba. Be gentle...**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love ya!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Sakura wandered into study hall, hoping the kids from before would keep quiet this time. She took her usual seat and opened her calculus book, starting to work on some of the questions she had to finish. It wasn't long before part of the group filtered in. At least it was the less annoying part of them. She worked and ignored them while more students filled in, and only paused when a certain blue eyed brunette sat to her right. She shot him a half smile and he narrowed his eyes.

It wasn't long before the more annoying half of the group joined the others. Sakura watched as they glared at her and took their seats. She had to try not to laugh, as they were being quiet and if she started a confrontation now, she'd definitely have a headache by the end of it. She completed her work and glanced up at Kaiba. He had been leaning back in his seat and his laptop was closed. It looked like he was sleeping, but she knew better.

She packed up her things and slipped them into her backpack, gazing up at the clock. There were twenty more minutes of class left and she had nothing to do. She looked over at the group and they were playing quietly, shooting her glares and what not.

"Thanks." She said to them. The two boys who had been giving her dirty looks exchanged confused glances while the girl and the short boy smiled and nodded. When she turned back there was a note on her desk.

'$500' Was written on it and she turned to Kaiba, who was watching her intently. She faced him and mouthed the word 'no', making him put on his business face.

"Six hundred?" He whispered leaning in and once again catching the attention of everyone in the class, as was his curse.

"No." She whispered into his face. "What makes you think I'll sell... I mean, six hundred is a lot-" He tsked her and pulled back a bit.

"It's pocket change." He said, trying to sound powerful. She raised an eyebrow and smiled, shaking her head slowly.

"My drawings are worth more than pocket change." she chided and he sighed.

"One thousand." She seemed to start to think it over and he smirked.

"mmmm... no." His smirk faded fast and he breathed out heavily again. She was winning and he couldn't have it.

"With that money you could buy supplies to make hundreds more drawings." He tried as a new approach.

"But the original idea, that's priceless." She was infuriating.

"Five thousand. Final offer." He said, not liking losing, but arguing with her was more complex than he was used to. He really wanted the rights to the picture, but she was as stubborn as he was and he knew the negotiation would be unending if that was true.

"No deal. I'm touched you like it so much though... Why is that?" She asked curiously. He smirked and looked down at his laptop. He clicked it open and began typing on it, ignoring her now that the deal was not going to happen. She shrugged and glanced around the room. The students were beginning to go back to whatever it was they were doing before, and only a handful still watched them, whispering quietly to each other.

The rest of the week flowed by without incident. Kaiba went back to his usual quiet reserved self and Sakura continued to work hard and ignore the outside distractions in the school. It was as if they had never spoken, and neither of them minded much. She did still think about his offer from time to time, and curiosity was beginning to overcome her, but she wouldn't ask. She just continued to focus on things that mattered.

Things at work were getting more busy and Sakura was being trained for some big event taking place in the hotel she worked at. They needed more servers than they had for such events and for the day in question, she would be getting a temporary raise, so she wasn't too put out over it. After school she would get in her new uniform and go straight to work. During breaks she would finish any homework she wasn't able to complete in school. She had no time or room for anything so long as the event took place, so when the Saturday came up, she was relieved.

"So, when the guests start arriving, there is only professionalism. No loitering. No gossiping. No rudeness. You are here to serve them, and make sure they are taken care of, understood?" Mel, the manager, said, starting the day off with one of her infamous 'pep' talks. "Oh, and absolutely no bothering of Mister Kaiba." Sakura glanced up and watched Mel scan them all. She didn't know Kaiba would be there, but already she could tell it would be an issue. The other female servers immediately became excited and whispered among themselves.

"Focus!" Mr. Vierce, the head server and host said, getting frustrated at the childish display going on before him. "We need this to go smoothly and if anything were to happen that would influence Mr. Kaiba's outlook on this place of business negatively, it would be unforgivable." He said eying each one of them.

One of the women from the front desk appeared in the doorway and whispered something to Mel.

"Already? He's nearly a half hour early." She said quietly, but everyone had been listening so intently, she was easily heard. A few of the girls looked excitedly at her, waiting for her orders. Sakura glanced out the window, hoping the next four hours went by quickly and without incident. If she did good enough, maybe they would promote her. She could use the money.

"Ms. Miko." Sakura's eyes shot up at Mel, and she realized what happened. She was selected to manage the staff in between duties. As she scanned the room, she also noticed two male servers joining them up front. She smirked and strode forward. She knew exactly what they were doing. The people in charge of making orders and direct contact with the guests were people not interested in Seto Kaiba, or at least wouldn't annoy the hell out of him. She was given a radio and strict instructions of how to deal with most situations.

"You know the names of the cleaning staff in case a mess should happen?" Mel asked. Apparently she forgot that Sakura was pulled from the cleaning staff to be an extra server.

"Yes ma'am." She said, bowing politely.

"Very good." Mel led the two men, Sakura and Mr. Vierce to the entrance. Kaiba had been waiting at the entrance with two men who seemed to be his security. A quick glance around showed a few more men standing about in obscure locations in the main lobby. As they approached, Kaiba glanced over the group. His gaze lingered on her, letting her know he recognized her, but other than that, she was not acknowledged.

"Welcome, Mr. Kaiba. You're quite early, how prompt." Mel complimented in a happy tone. "Would you like me to take your jacket and suitcase?" she offered, beckoning the boys over to help him. Kaiba shrugged off his long black overcoat and showed off his finely tailored tux. Mel handed them a Key card for a room reserved for holding special guests belongings and they disappeared down the hall.

"I trust the meeting hall is properly decorated." He said, wanting to make sure there were no issues for the night to come. He couldn't leave it solely in their hands. Mel immediately led him into the large room specially prepared for his guests. He inspected every little thing, making sure it was exactly as he specified.

"Is this all to your liking?" She asked him.

"It's fine. Though, just in case, I'm going to request a personal server with authority over the others with me." Mel stopped and glanced between Mr. Vierce and Sakura, then finally leaned down to her.

"When Jason gets back, let him know Mr. Kaiba ha-"

"She'll do." Kaiba said, not willing to wait. Sakura looked up at Mel, who sighed and gave her a stare that said 'if you don't keep professional, you're fired.' Nodding, she approached Kaiba.

"Mokuba will want to take from the dessert cart-" Seto turned to her with raised eyebrow as she cut him off.

"I figured as much when I found out it was your event. The dessert cart will be held in the back until one hour before the end of the event. Each will have a server to distribute the desserts, and the plates used will hold four of them max." She said as her eyes remained averted submissively.

"You thought of this?" She nodded.

"I remember the last event you held, and the... media coverage of your younger brother. That will not happen here." She assured him. "I've also notified the staff to keep an eye out for him and any other member who might become a spectacle." He smirked. She was as diligent in her work as she was in school.

"I would like to reaffirm all allergy reports are taken care of accordingly?" He demanded more than asked, but Sakura knew to expect this. She unclasped the radio Mel had given her from her belt and and pressed a button on the side.

"Joan." She called into it, turning slightly away from Kaiba out of courtesy.

"Kind of busy Sakura." Joan called back into the line.

"I understand, I just need to make sure you have the list of food allergies for what was ordered." She called into it, cutting right to the point.

"Yeah I got it." She replied. Kaiba opened his mouth to say something but Sakura continued.

"I'm going to need a copy of that list to make sure it's the right one please." Kaiba could only stand there with his mouth ajar. It took him months to get secretaries to think ahead and ask the obvious questions that he wanted asked, yet she was doing it better than any of them.

"I'll send Jace up with it. That it?" Joan sounded upset and overburdened. Sakura shot a look at Kaiba and he nodded.

"Thanks, that's all."

"No sweat love." A beep indicated she was off the line and a few moments later Jace entered and handed a two page list to her. She scanned the list's header and found that it was indeed the one faxed from Kaiba corp. She held it out for Kaiba to scan and he leaned over her and peered onto the paper.

"This is correct." He said after a brief look. He started towards the lobby, but turned back to her. "Stay close." He ordered and she took her place a few paces behind him.

The party started almost immediately. There were numerous big names in industry, apparently celebrating the launch of the new battle stadiums for the duel monsters game. Mokuba showed up halfway through, for some reason or another, and had been asking about the dessert trays. Kaiba rolled his eyes and glanced at Sakura. A thought came to mind. She stepped up to the brothers and looked to Kaiba for permission. He didn't know what she was planning, but she had handled the rest of the evening with the kind of precision and thoroughness he requires of upper management, so he nodded.

"Excuse me Mr. Kaiba," She said, bending down to Mokuba. He looked up at her with wide curious eyes. "I have a proposition for you, if you'd like to take a turn being the business man for a second." Mokuba looked up to his big brother and smiled, then nodded excitedly to her. "Well, we have a special kind of dessert that we serve here. We're the only place that has it, but it's not on the menu tonight. If you want, I can have the chef whip you up one, but you have to wait until dessert time. Also, I think the other guests would be jealous, so you might want to eat it in private, in case they," She leaned in closer, speaking into his ear. "Ask you to share." Mokuba's eyes narrowed and he pondered the proposition.

"What is it?" He asked. The type of dessert really did matter. Sakura looked around, as if to make sure no one was looking, then returned to the boy.

"A slice of seven layer chocolate tower cake." She said every word slowly, and his eyes widened with each syllable. He shook his head 'yes' violently, and she rose and brushed past Kaiba. "Low sugar. It's a small piece." She whispered as she passed the elder brother. She could have sworn he wore a smile as he nodded, but she wasn't about to turn back now. She placed the order to an unhappy chef line, promising to pay for it herself and tip generously.

When the time came, Sakura pulled Mokuba off to the side and gave him his own table, visible by Kaiba's but secluded. He stayed there, checking to make sure no one would ask for some of his dessert between every bite. His cautious behavior drew out the actual consumption of the dessert long enough for everyone to finish getting their own and for the dessert servers to wheel the carts away.

Overall the evening went smoothly and guests began excusing themselves. As the men and women filtered out leaving more room to work and breathe, Kaiba pulled Sakura aside.

"I didn't realize you had time to work your way up in this hotel." He said, honestly grateful for her help. He didn't think anyone other than the host and manager would be capable of thinking so smoothly and professionally, especially someone his age.

"I don't. I'm just a maid. They were down two servers and needed an extra." Kaiba raised an eyebrow, unable to believe that and Sakura sighed. "I was placed as an assistant manager for the evening because the only other selections were... fan girls who my boss thought would annoy you." He nodded. It was a good move. Better than the manager could have expected, as she would soon find out. "Um... About your offer... for the drawing..." She tentatively glanced up at him. "I think... I'll accept it, but on one condition." Kaiba smirked. She was beginning to interest him again. But he had to play with her a bit, losing the last battle was just not tolerable.

"How do you know the offer's still on the table?" She looked up at him and did something he had never seen anyone do so quickly. She saw right through him.

"That's right. I guess I can just walk away." She turned to clear some dishes off a table but he took them from her and placed them onto one of the other server's trays.

"What's the condition?" He asked. She was damned good.

"I wanna kn-"

"You're not bothering Mr. Kaiba are you?" Mel appeared behind Sakura, her tone showing obvious displeasure.

"Actually, we're in the middle of a deal. If you don't mind, I prefer to conduct business on a one on one setting." Kaiba said, leveling her with a glare. Mel backed away slowly, bowing respectfully. "Now... Your stipulation?"He turned back to Sakura as if they had never been interrupted.

"I want to know why you want it." She said, less confident now that Mel had shaken her. Kaiba looked around the room and sighed. He started towards a side door he had seen Sakura enter and exit through and motioned for her to follow. Once in the hall alone he turned to her.

"You cant tell the media." He looked down at her intimidatingly and she nodded. "It's for a virtual reality duel monsters game I'm working on,. It's still in the prototype stages, but I need to get the basis for the characters down for their 3d rendering."

"And you want my drawing to be your avatar." He nodded and she looked away and thought for a second.

"That's... Awesome!"

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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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The guests finally left, one by one, and Sakura took Mokuba aside, letting him rest in the 'Super secret staff hideout', also known as the employee lounge. He fell asleep on the couch that so many employees had used as a bed during breaks that it already had a indent for a person to lay across. She brought out a clean blanket and an extra pillow for his comfort and left him in Jean's capable hands.

"I trust the evening went just as well as you had hoped." Mel said to Kaiba. He nodded, not really paying attention and clicked a button on his blackberry. "I do hope Ms. Miko wasn't bothering you too much throughout the night." Kaiba paused and looked at her.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that." Mel's face changed from a smile to worry. "From now on, when I use this hotel, I want her to be my personal assistant. She'll handle all of my business with you." Mel's jaw dropped. "She went above and beyond. I trust she will be taken care of here." He finished, turning back to his blackberry. "Speaking of which, I should get Mokuba from her." He handed Mel a generous tip and marched past her, heading right for the employee's lounge.

As he opened the door, he saw Mokuba asleep on the couch and Sakura and Jean in the back.

"Hey, that seven layer cake..." Jean started, leaving the end of her sentence unfinished. Sakura jumped up and patted her legs where her pockets would be.

"Oh, right, here." She moved to the side and pulled a walled out of a pair of jeans. "How much was it again?"

"Fourteen" Sakura frowned, but pulled the bills out. She handed Jean a twenty and told her to keep the rest.

"It's so expensive here." She muttered and Jean laughed.

"Then go work for a two star hotel instead." Sakura stuck her tongue out at the chef and moved to Mokuba, smiling as she looked down at him. She brushed some fallen hairs out of his eyes and pulled the blanket tighter around him.

"He's so cute."

"His brother ain't to shabby either." Jean said, pocketing the money. Sakura looked up at her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"You could be his mother." Jean shrugged and pulled out a cigaret. "Hey, not while he's in here." She chided.

"What are you, the cigaret police?" Jean said, but she put the thing back. Seto smirked. She really knew how to handle herself. He cleared his throat and Sakura stood and nodded respectfully.

"It's time for us to go." He said, bending and picking up Mokuba. He peeled the blanket off of him and the boy started to shuffle.

"Keep it. Complimentary." Sakura insisted, re wrapping the boy and returning him to a peaceful sleep. Kaiba shifted the boy so he was only holding him with one arm, and reached into his tux. He pulled out a few bills and held them out to her. "Sir, I couldn't-"

"Take it." He wasn't in a negotiating mood. She took the bills and watched him move through the door.

"Holy crap, is that a hundred dollar bill?" Sakura glanced up at Jean, then at the money in her hands. It wasn't a hundred dollar bill. It was two of them. She raced out into the hall, spotting him halfway down it.

"This is too much." She said, finally keeping up with him. He stopped, making her bump into him and glanced down at her.

"Shh. You'll wake him." He said quietly. Sakura stared at him incredulously, but her gaze wandered down to the sleeping boy and she smiled. He smirked down at her and continued walking. He had won this time.

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><p>The exchange took place in the study hall. Kids watched and whispered as the Seto Kaiba pulled out his checkbook, scribbled something down and handed her the small piece of paper, then as she pulled out her sketchpad, carefully tore out a page and handed it to him. He placed the thing carefully into his briefcase and turned to her.<p>

"How is work going?" He asked. She looked at him as if he had just asked her to eat a cockroach, but answered, confused as to why he cared.

"Back to usual. Putting sheets on beds and cleaning up after strangers." He looked at her questioningly and she raised an eyebrow in return. "What?" He shook his head and returned to his computer. They should have promoted her. Or at least thanked her or said something. Why did she just go back to cleaning rooms as a lowly maid? It didn't make any sense.

"How much do you make there?" He asked, feeling out of character. She was above the work she was doing. She had already proved that. It drove him insane. Why did he have to deal with morons who didn't know their ass from their elbow taking high up positions while the hotel had her as a worker and treated her like a janitor?

"Isn't that a bit personal?" He glanced at her with a look that said 'really?'

"The only reason people don't like to talk about how much they make is because they don't like to learn how much more someone else makes over them. I'm pretty sure you can guess that it's a pretty big gap between us already, so you're learning nothing new."

"I thought it's because it's none of anyone else's business." She retorted. He looked at her expectantly and she finally sighed. Arguing with him was draining.

"Minimum wadge." She said quietly. She could have sworn his eye twitched.

"Minimum... That's bullshit." She looked up at him in shock.

"I've only been there for like, two months. That's starting pay. I don't qualify for a raise until one full year there." He stared at her for a moment, but shook it off.

"Quit." He said glancing down at his computer.

"What? I need money. I've got to save up fo-"

"Then work for me." This man confused her to the very core.

"What?"

"So far your design for my... project has proven promising. I've got plenty more... designs that need to be produced, and I'm figuring you're the best one for the job. Unless I'm mistaken?" He was damned good at getting what he wanted. Too good. This was a deal she couldn't pass up. Making money and doing something she loved, it was a dream. But this man who was too good at getting what he wanted, she had to be careful. The only problem was he knew he had her.

"... Fine..."

"It's by commission. Each piece you give me will be compensated. Can you do landscapes as well?" He pulled out his blackberry and began tapping it with it's stylist.

"Yeah, I prefer them. I just don't do animals." She said.

"That doesn't matter, it's based off of duel monsters. There are no animals, just the creatures in the cards." It seemed to be the perfect deal. "When are you free next, we'll need to discuss the pieces I'm going to need."

"Um... well, seeing as I'm going to be quitting, once I give my two weeks notice, I'll have a flexible schedule." He raised an eyebrow. Of course she was professional enough to give enough notice for them to train and hire someone to replace her. It didn't mean he had to like it in this instant.

"So two weeks from today?" She laughed, making the kids next to her that she had yelled at for the same reason not long ago, glare at her.

"You sure don't like to wait, do you." He knew it wasn't a question, and she knew the answer to that. He just stared at her until she was finished. " Two weeks from Friday." He frowned. He'd prefer it get started sooner, but he couldn't argue with her reasoning. She was a stand up worker and that was worth so much more than the time it would take to wait.

"Fine. Bring a resume."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, quitting?" Mel asked as Sakura handed her her resignation.<p>

"I've gotten a better job offer." Sakura explained.

"What... if I give you a raise?" Mel asked, trying to negotiate. Sakura didn't think it was possible to match Kaiba's offer, but she waited and allowed Mel to try. "Another dollar an hour." Sakura shook her head, smiling.

"Sorry, but-"

"A promotion then. Server? Promotions give an automatic raise as well." Mel tried.

"I really appreciate the offer, but I really cant give up this opportunity."

"Who is it?" The manager asked, giving up.

"Kaiba. Seto Kaiba." Mel's eyes scanned the girl.

"Doing what?"

"I cant say. It's confidential." She looked over Sakura incredulously. "It's a secret project for Kaiba Corp. I really cant say." Mel sighed.

"Fine." She rose and already Sakura could tell she wasn't happy. She did put her all into everything she did and it made her a great worker. She just didn't realize how exactly Mel felt about the news. Over the next two weeks she found out. Mel gave her such an odd schedule that it completely interfered with how her life had run. Either she worked a really long shift starting a half hour after she got out of school, or she worked a short shift late in the night. It threw off her sleep schedule and made her exhausted at every hour of the day.

It was starting to show in school as well, at least to the observant few.

"You look like hell." She hadn't even sat and Kaiba was commenting on how she looked. She glanced at the window, trying to catch a glimpse of her reflection. Her golden brown hair was pulled into a tight high ponytail and her pale blue button down blouse fell gently on her, cut to fit and accentuating all the right places without being too revealing. Her dark gray pencil skirt fell to just the right length above her knees and her shiny black flats matched the slim belt at her waist. She looked like a department manager at his corporation.

"You're no flower yourself." She replied, curious as to what she missed.

"Have you been sleeping on a pile of rocks or something?"

"That would imply I sleep." She tiredly opened her notebook. She worked quietly on her assignments and he left her to do so.

* * *

><p>Finally finished with the hotel, she was able to rest up appropriately before her big interview at Kaiba Corp. She filled a few of her art pieces in a small travel portfolio as a display along with her resume, which was... in her opinion, lacking. She knew she probably would get the position, as Kaiba pretty much handed it to her on a silver platter, but she couldn't help feeling nervous. Her last interview was with Mel, and put simply, she was just torn into.<p>

"Today's the big day, huh?" A tall brunette moved slowly into her living room, gently letting himself down on the couch.

"What are you doing up? You're supposed to be on bed rest." She chided, trying to place her earring, but failing to find the hole.

"Pfft. I cant live my whole life in bed." He said, looking around the room. He finally spotted what he was looking for. Unfortunately the remote was out of reach. She sighed, putting down the earring and taking out the one that was already in on the other side and handed him the remote.

"Don't over do it while I'm out. If anything happens, give me a call." She placed the phone closer to him.

"Hey," He called, stopping her from exiting. "Break a leg." He smiled at her and she returned it.

"Thanks big brother." She waved goodbye and shut the door behind her.

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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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"Not a bad portfolio." Kaiba said. Sakura sat with her hands respectfully on her lap as he went through her papers. "The resume needs work, but other than that I think you qualify perfectly for the position." He finished, tapping her papers into an organized stack and putting them back in her portfolio. She nodded and smiled, but decided against speaking.

"Do you have any questions?" He asked. She did before she left but now face to face with him, she was drawing a blank. It had been so easy to talk to him in class, but this was his world she was in. He had all the power here, and she could see how people would describe him as intimidating.

"Uh... The pieces I'll be doing..." She said, barely finding her voice.

"Of course. I don't see this project being complete for a few years now, so you'll have plenty of time. I'm planning on having a fully functional world. Vendors, guards, travelers, peasants and warriors. There will be key figures as well. The pay for each will vary by unit drawn. Peasants and travelers are two hundred, guards and warriors are seven hundred, Vendors are eight hundred and key figures vary between two thousand and four thousand. Landscapes are between five and ten thousand. I'll be working with you on them." He really was planning on a complete experience. She had to give him credit, the man was thorough.

"How many of each are you going to need?"

"At least twenty vendors. The guards all have the same uniform with a full helm, so if you make four variations of them, we should be able to just change the voice actors."

"As for the landscapes, will you need textures for the trees and rocks? I can do wide spread landscapes of many settings, but all of that is useless if you don't have the close up values. The flowers in the meadows, the trees in the forests, the shrubs and vines in the jungles... If you're looking for perfection, these play huge parts. And using internet searches of photos and whatnot is copyrighted and illegal." She pointed out. He quietly thought for a second, filtering through the people he trusted in the departments necessary.

"I may have an idea." She noted, making him glance up at her. " I know someone who's good at photography. If I buy her photos, for say, an art project, we'll have the rights to use them, and she wont know any better. She'll have no connection to the project or to Kaiba Corp. She'll probably kill me for it later, but for now, she'll be in the dark." Kaiba looked her over, a slight smirk playing at his lips. She thought just like him. He didn't have her art connections, as he'd only ever used the art from the cards, but other than that, they seemed to think too similarly.

"Is she trustworthy?" He asked and Sakura looked up at him a little confused.

"Yes, but I figured you would prefer her be uninformed. It doesn't strike me as a good idea to hire based on the word of someone who hasn't even been an employee for an hour." She truly thought just like him, and even more, was able to act accordingly. She would prove to be a great employee.

"Very well." He slid her a phone. "Call her." Sakura looked down at his blackberry, then up at the clock.

"She's at work. I'll text her, but she might not respond right away." He nodded and she pulled out her own phone.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to see what you write." Kaiba demanded more than asked. She nodded and showed him the text before sending it.

'Hey girl, Can I hire you to take some photos for an independent project I'm working on?' He nodded and hit send, handing the phone back to her.

"I'm trusting you not to give away anything." He said, moving on. They began discussing some of the first landscapes he required when her cell phone buzzed. She looked up at him and he nodded, allowing her to check it. After reading the reply she handed the phone to him.

'Sure thing, what do you need?' He handed the phone back to her. Waited for her to type and read over her conversation.

'I need some textures. Sand, bark, stone. Stuff like that, and I also need some plants. Really diverse plants. I'll pay.' Throughout their conversation, more texts were sent back and forth, securing the deal. They paused, he reviewed the messages and they were able to cover a great deal of information for her tasks. Finally she got one last text message, read it, shook her head and placed the phone on the table next to them. He looked at her expectantly and she glanced between him and the phone.

"Oh, the subject was changed. She was asking about something else." He held out his hand and she gave him the phone. He opened the conversation and reviewed everything said.

'You don't need to pay, I still owe you from the cards you helped me sell.'

'Yeah, but I want the rights to these photos. How much you want?'

'Same as usual. $5 per black and white. $7 for color.'

'All color. I'm gonna need a lot of them.'

'Cool. Are you still up for the game tomorrow?' The conversations ended after that. He placed the phone down and continued with his guidelines. He described the first three areas he wanted done and gave her an idea of the time and culture of the people she would be designing. Finally, the meeting was over. Sakura rose and bowed politely. When her head lifted again she saw an outstretched hand. A moment passed before she took Kaiba's hand and they shook firmly.

"Welcome aboard. I'll see you in school."

* * *

><p>"I love this place!" Mokuba cheered, excited to be seated.<p>

"Mr. Kaiba, welcome!" The host said. The restaurant was a small one and everyone was surprised to see them there.

"Mokuba, we've never been here." Kaiba informed him as the host placed them at a private table.

"Yeah, but some of the kids at school brought leftovers from here to lunch. If the leftovers were good, then it's gotta be amazing fresh!" Kaiba chuckled at his little brother. "Oh! I think they deliver, I'm going to grab a menu." The boy jumped from his seat, but Kaiba put a firm hand on his shoulder and rose.

"I'll go." He said, smiling at the boy. "You order drinks." Kaiba started for the greeting area, but stopped in the doorway. Sakura stood at the order out desk, giving an order. After the man wrote it down and disappeared, a noise made him smirk. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a phone who's ring tone was apparently 'I am a banana!' Over and over.

"Hey chickie. I'm getting food now." She said into it. Kaiba leaned against the doorway observing this strange girl. "You take some nice photos?" His smirk faded as his business was being addressed and he continued to listen, only more intently. "Awesome. I cant wait to see them. Hey, be nice. Because... I..." Sakura smirked and he could tell she was now in negotiation mode. "Well, I guess if you feel that way, I wont cook that maple cinnamon pork roast for us tomorrow. You can get pizza. Well, then be nice." She won, as he figured she would. She said goodbye to her friend, then hung up the phone.

He moved behind her and plucked a menu from the stack to her side. She jumped at his closeness and swung around to meet him face to face. Immediately she sighed and calmed herself.

"You know, you're really good at that." She paused, looking around the place then back to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Eating?" She rolled her eyes. How different she was between work, school, and play. He liked her ability to switch so easily.

"This isn't exactly where the tabloids would place you."

"That makes this the perfect place." He opened the menu, and glanced through. "What would you suggest, seeing as this doesn't appear to be your first time." She looked him over and shook her head, wearing a small smile. She took his arm, moving it out of her line of sight so she could better see the menu and he glanced down at her. Normally he wouldn't allow a girl to touch him. He didn't like how it made him look, and he didn't like getting close to others like that. But he also knew, she didn't see him that way, and if she did, she didn't show it. It was still uncomfortable, but he brushed it off as a passing thing.

"Coconut shrimp and beef low mein." She said, taking a step back and looking up at him. She didn't seem to realize the impact that physical contact had on him, but he took it as a good thing. He nodded and headed towards his own table. The man at the counter brought her the brown paper bag stuffed with Chinese food and she left as well. She didn't live far, so the drive over was short. Once inside, her guests had arrived.

"Oh, food!" One called, rushing over to the bag. Sakura opened it and pulled out a box, then left the rest to the vultures. She moved through a hall and into the bedroom in the back.

"Jiro, I brought you some pork chow mein... Jiro?" Her brother lay asleep, curled on his side and facing the wall. "Jiro." She called again, placing the box on his nightstand and tugging at his blanket. "J-Jiro?" He fell over too easily and looked pale. She put a hand to his forehead, but yanked it back after feeling how hot it was. "Someone get the phone and call an ambulance!" She yelled, rushing into the others. It didn't take long for the ambulance to show up and bring him to the hospital.

They spent the night in the emergency room, waiting on something, anything about his condition. She dismissed her friends, apologizing for their night being ruined. Most went home, but one remained.

"I'm sure the doctors will find out whats wrong." Steph circled around and sat next to her. Sakura hung her head low. Tired and sad.

"It's probably the same thing that's been killing him for the last two years."

"They said he had a year left."

"Well... I guess that's life." Sakura said brokenly. Steph put her hand on her shoulder and rubbed her back. "You should go. You have work in the morning."

"Nope." She said, hugging Sakura to her. "See? I'm stuck. I cant leave." She said childishly. Sakura smirked and leaned into her. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>The bell rang, signaling the end of her art class. Her weekend had been hell between the hospital and the new routines her and her brother had to go through. She was so happy to have quit working in the hotel and start working for Kaiba when she did. It gave her leniency to work at her own pace, at home and have a flexible enough schedule to take care of her brother. She wandered into study hall and sat in her usual spot. She was the first there, which was usual, and began working on her calculus assignment. The words before her seemed to blur and the numbers values kept changing in her mind. She knew the work, but her brain was just fuzzy. She wouldn't let it show though.<p>

Five minutes in, she received a text message. She was cautious to answer it under her desk while no one was looking, but unfortunately she had been sitting next to one of the most observant people in the world, and his cold blue eyes were trained on her. He watched as she scribbled down the answers on her paper much more slowly than usual and answered text after text. After a few minutes she received a text from someone other than her chat partner.

'You know, they'll take it away if they catch you.' She received from her contact 'S. Kaiba'. She quickly glanced up and he was looking at her with a half smirk and a raised eyebrow.

'You're one to talk. They'll do the same to you.' She wrote back before answering her other friend. Her phone buzzed again before she finished the message, forcing her phone to save it as a draft as she opened it.

'They wouldn't dare.' She scoffed at his arrogance, but knew he was right. They wouldn't piss off the one man who had single-handedly donated the most funding towards the schools curriculum. She opened her draft, finished it and sent it, then returned to her work. After her paper was complete she went to put it away, but the shifting of her and her book bag caused her hidden phone to slip and fall off her lap, landing to her right. Some students and the aid looked up, curious as to what was dropped.

When she glanced back down the phone was gone. Before she could say anything the bell rang, letting her know it was lunch time. She packed everything up and started down the hall, following the one responsible for her phone's disappearance. He led her past the lunch room and to the school courtyard. Once under his favorite tree he turned to sit, but came face to face with her instead.

"My phone." She demanded, holding a hand out. He scoffed and reached inside his famous blue duster and pulled the small phone out, but didn't hand it to her.

"What exactly was so important that you had to talk about it in class?" He said snidely.

"I'm not playing Kaiba. Give it back." Her tone was dead serious and she held some emotion in her eyes that captivated him. He lowered the phone, allowing her to snatch it up. "It... It's personal." She held the phone to her chest, gazing at it sorrowfully. After a moment she took a step backwards, intending on turning and walking away, but his hand shot out, grabbing a hold of her arm and blocking her escape.

"What is it?" It was a question this time. His voice was uncharacteristically soft. Almost tender. It threw her off. She opened her mouth to say something but her phone buzzed, taking what little bit of her attention span she had left. She lifted the thing to read the text, but the thing continued to buzz. She slowly flipped the phone open and put it up to her ear.

"Hello?" Kaiba watched as her eyes widened and her breathing stopped. "Call an ambulance, I'll be there as soon as I can!" She cried into the thing, snapping it closed and starting to move away, but his hand remained firm on her. She looked back at him quickly, trying to free herself, but he held on. "What are you doing? I need to-"

"Yes, but you're going the wrong way. My car's this way." He said, pulling her towards the back parking lot. He took her to his shiny sports car and started the engine. She gave him the directions to her house and he sped through the town. When they arrived they could hear sirens in the distance, but no vehicle was in the driveway. Sakura rushed to the front door, fumbling with her keys to unlock it. She finally got through, and he followed her through her small house. Once in the back he learned of the urgency.

A tall skinny brunette lay unconscious, sprawled across the floor, a phone next to his head and the emergency operator still calling for him to answer.

"Jiro!" She fell next to him, turning him and Kaiba knelt beside them.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked, afraid to touch the man.

"He... He has cancer. He's dying."

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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Sakura paced the halls of the hospital like she had done so many times before. This time she wasn't alone, and it wasn't close friends accompanying her. It was her new boss and classmate, Seto Kaiba.

"You know you've done so much, you really don't have to stay. You've got so much to worry about, you-"

"Can it. I'm not going anywhere." He sat back in the waiting room chair, trying to make himself comfortable.

"I... I really appreciate you coming and doing all of this but... why are you here?" She asked, looking up at him from her seat next to him.

"Because, I was curious. And I wanted an excuse to get out of school." She smirked.

"Wow, you are a real boy." He chuckled, surprising her again. Getting to know the Seto Kaiba was turning into a great experience. Maybe people just didn't understand him. Maybe they didn't care to. But if that was the case, then it was their loss.

"Ms. Miko." The doctor called. She looked up at Kaiba worriedly, then stood. He rose with her and accompanied her to the back room where her brother lay, asleep. "I'm afraid, the tumor seems to be growing at a much faster rate than before. We cant tell what is causing this growth rate, but it's beginning to crush the brain against the skull, causing the blackouts. From the location of the tumor, you must already know his memory will be failing soon." Sakura nodded.

"This could start at any moment now. He could wake today and not remember the last week. But more importantly, I'm afraid, he has less time than we previously estimated." Sakura couldn't look up at the doctor. She knew this might happen. She knew she'd have to deal with this sooner or later. She just couldn't face it as strongly as she wished she could.

"How long?" She asked, still looking away. She could see Kaiba behind her out of the corner of her eye and felt a bit... more comfortable.

"Less than six months." Sakura paused. Her eyes darted around and she chewed on the inside of her cheek. Finally she bit back the tears threatening to fall and smiled up at the doctor.

"Thank you so much for all your help. Can I see him?" Kaiba was stunned. This girl, who's love and devotion to her brother were so obvious, was able to smile in the face of a death sentence for someone she cared fully for. She had her business face on, but both she and Kaiba knew, there was no dealing with death.

The doctor let her in, pausing as Kaiba followed, but let him in as well when she turned back and waved him on.

"Sakura... who's this?" Her brother rasped.

"Don't you recognize him silly? It's Seto Kaiba. He's my new boss." She chuckled, tugging the hair from his eyes. Immediately the boy tried to right his position, straining himself to sit up and greet Kaiba proper.

"Please don't exhaust yourself." Kaiba insisted, moving to the boy's side. Jiro held out a hand and Kaiba shook it.

"I was hoping to see the boy who gave Sakura her dream job." Kaiba's eyes moved from brother to sister and she had been looking fondly at her older sibling.

"You know I want to be an accountant." She said, ruffling the hair she just fixed.

"You know I want you to be happy." He retorted, combing his fingers through and making it so he could see again. "You've got your whole life ahead of you. You need to enjoy it. I'm glad you took this job. I can how see it makes you smile. That's what life is about. I want you to smile always." His tone held something distant, and it pierced her subconscious.

"Jiro..." He lifted his hand to stroke her cheek and she took it. This was how families should be. Kaiba watched as the two exchanged hopes for each other. A hope for life. A hope for happiness. The very things Kaiba and Mokuba had for each other. The very thing they fought so hard for. It broke his heart to know that his biggest fear, that he shared with them, would befall them.

"The doctors want to keep me for a few days. Looks like you're going to be getting a vacation from taking care of me." He said with a smile.

"I'll visit every day." She promised.

"Like hell you will. Have your friends over. Throw a party. Go out and get a date. I'd like to meet and scare at least one of your boyfriends away before I go. It is my job." He chuckled, but Sakura didn't seem amused.

"I've got plenty on my plate to have to worry about dating." She said bitterly.

"Work... school... chores... whats the point in existing if you're not going to live?" Sakura sighed heavily, but he wasn't done. "Go ask a guy out or something. Just remember, no keggers and no preggers." Sakura's face turned bright red, and Kaiba had to stifle his laughter.

"Preg... you're insane."

"Heh... yeah... soon enough."

* * *

><p>Sakura made her way to the study hall. She was having the same issues as the day before. Her brain didn't seem to be functioning at one hundred percent. She figured it would take four times as long to do her work today, just as it had done the day before.<p>

'I hope I didn't catch something in the emergency room.' She thought to herself. Before she could enter the room someone called out to her.

"Sakura, this way." She turned, but didn't have to. She knew it was Kaiba. He led her to the room he used to study in private again and she took her seat next to him.

"How are the designs going?" He asked, getting straight to business. She looked him over deflatedly and pulled out her small travel portfolio. She removed fave pages and handed them to him. The first three were a guard and two vendors, all three pieces complete. She even went as far as to make four full drawings on the paper, front, back, and one of each side of the character portrayed. In random areas of the paper where it wasn't used, she drew more intricate details of the clothing they wore, their faces and hair, and their hands and feet.

The other two papers were incomplete drawings of landscapes. One of the main town where the players would start and one of the view from that main city's walls. The drawings were exactly what he wanted, and she had only been working on them for four days.

"Five pages?" He said under his breath. He figured she would be moving at a slower pace as most of his 'work from home' employees did. Especially given the current circumstances.

"Sorry. I've been busy lately. Over the next three days I'll have time to work on more. I'm usually faster, but... I have no excuses. I'm sorry." He glanced over at her. Was she serious? He expected maybe this much work per week.

"This is fine. It's a good pace." He said, unsure of why she was being so hard on herself.

"I know I can do better. Besides, if there's a figure you don't agree with, there should be enough time to get everything perfect." She said. She really did think ahead. He knew he would have only the best in his games, and if something was sub standard, he would turn it down. She wanted enough time to make everything perfect. She wouldn't procrastinate and risk any issues. She was, as usual, a stand up worker.

"How's your brother?" The question had been on his mind, but it felt weird asking such a personal question. He wasn't used to the closeness.

"He's alright. He's under twenty four, seven watch and the nurses are great with him." She pulled out her calculus papers and started working on them quietly, and he returned to his own work after handing back the unfinished pieces and putting the complete ones in his briefcase. Before the study hall ended he pulled out a smaller stack of paper and wrote something down.

As she rose to leave, he passed her the slip of paper that he had filled out. A check for $2200.

"I figured you might forget, but I'm not one to take things for free." She nodded gratefully and continued away, leaving him on his own separate way.

Over the next few weeks the world returned to normal. Every Monday Kaiba would look over the drawings she produced that week and he would write her a check for her efforts. He had come to expect ten characters and one landscape a week from her, give or take one or two.

Life for him was the same. He made his deals, made business decisions, and even had some spare time for his favorite pass time, Duel Monsters. He was the reigning world champion and damned proud of it. The one part of his life that he could indulge, and he wanted it perfect. That game gave him the closest feeling to a childhood he ever had. Between raising Mokuba, Gozaburo's 'training', and taking over the company, he never had the same experiences every other kid had. Playing the silly game was like a second chance at a childhood he never got.

He knew he would be invited to the upcoming tournament from the creator of the cards, Maxamillion Pegasus. He was the one who created the stadiums used in the tournament. He was a shoe in for the champion position as well. He knew he could take it. The only thing he had to worry about was the final holder of the blue eyes white dragon. The tournament invited the best duelists from all over, and anyone with such a powerful card would certainly be there. He just had to locate it.

"Yeah, if you want to, you can come by the card shop and we can show you Grandpa's rare card." Kaiba heard from the other side of the room. The words came from one of the kids that had been bugging him and Sakura before.

"You think he'll teach me how to play?" The blonde boy was talking to the short boy. What game shop were they talking about, and what about a rare card? It couldn't have possibly been there in Domino the whole time. There is no way that card could have been under his nose while he searched the world over. He had to make sure. And if it was there, he had to get it.

After school he headed straight to the game shop that he managed to link the boy, Yugi, to. It was apparently run by his grandfather. It wasn't a large gaming shop, or even a very outstanding one, but it was the perfect place to hide such a card, and one that he hadn't searched before. As he walked through the doors his heart stopped. The card he had been searching for. The one he had spent almost a year trying to find.

"The blue eyes white dragon!"

* * *

><p>"I cant believe Kaiba." One kid said.<p>

"Guy's got some nerve." The girl added. Yugi looked up at his friends, wanting them to be wrong about the teen CEO, but his psyche wouldn't allow him to defend Kaiba. They were finally able to leave the hospital and his grandpa was alright, but it didn't excuse Kaiba's actions. Yugi looked down at the torn card in his hands and sighed.

"Joey, Tea, Tristan, I've got to go to the game shop. I've got to watch the place while they keep grandpa." He said to his friends.

"We'll stay with your grandpa while you take care of the place." the brunette, Tristan said, grabbing the blonde, Joey and smiling.

"I'll help you Yugi. After we close, we can come back and get the boys." Tea said, patting Yugi on the back and walking with him. As they left they bumped into a girl trying to enter.

"Sorry... hey..." Sakura said, looking at Yugi and Tea confusedly.

"Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?" The truth was, her brother had been back and forth to the hospital for some time now, but she wasn't about to spill her life story to some strangers.

"Just visiting someone." She said nonchalantly. "You?"

"The same." Yugi responded. "But I gotta go." He said, waving goodbye to her. She smiled and bid farewell to them in return and turned into the lobby. There she saw the two boys that she had been so mean to in her first days at the school.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She sighed, not wanting to repeat herself, but decided to be nice.

"Just visiting someone." She responded again. She smiled and continued, not wanting a full conversation. "I don't have much time though." She said, justifying her retreat. But it was true, she was having friends over in a little while and didn't want them to beat her to her own home.

Her visit was short and sweet. She really did have a time limit, but she made it a point to visit her brother every day he had to spend at the hospital. She left through a side door that she used to lead her to the allies that went straight to her home.

"Hey, I've seen you here before." A man said as she passed him. He was easily twice her age, and wreaked of alcohol. She began to walk faster, but the man came from behind and grabbed her arm. "hey, I was talking to you." He slurred his words and she wondered how he could even stand by the way he was leaning.

"Sorry, I guess I didn't hear you... But I have to go..." She said politely, trying not to anger him as she moved from him. His grip tightened, not allowing her to escape.

"Whats the rush?" He said pulling her toward the wall he had been leaning off of. She looked at him with horror and tried desperately to free herself, but he slammed her harshly against the concrete side of the building. With his strength obviously overpowering her, all she could do is beg.

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**Another cliffie. ^.^'' Luckily I update very quickly. don't forget to review all. This is my first OC story, so I need all the critiques I can get.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~ Love!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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"Hey, where are ya goin? We're supposed to be staying with Yugi's grandpa." Tristan said as Joey headed for a side door.

"Yeah, I aint going nowhere, I just need some air... It smells so... sterile in here." He said pushing the heavy door open.

"I didn't realize you know the word sterile." Tristan laughed. Joey turned around to glare at him but stopped.

"Hey... What the hell do ya think you're doing?" He shouted and ran off. Tristan, not willing to let any opportunity pass by, charged out as well. Once outside it was clear what Joey was upset over. Sakura was pressed against the cold concrete wall of the hospital, trying to scream through the man's hand covering her mouth. Joey threw himself at the man, yanking him off of her and they all fell to the ground. He took a swing at the old drunk and his fist connected with the man's jaw.

It didn't take much for the man to push Joey off, as he was a deal stronger than even the boy, but when Tristan joined the fray the man decided retreat was the only option.

"Yeah, keep runnin!" Tristan shouted as Joey turned to Sakura. He gave her a hand up and she blushed as he helped her steady herself.

"You ok?" He asked, and she could feel herself start to tear up. She had been so mean to this boy and here he was protecting her and making sure she was well. Her fingers curled into the green fabric of his jacket and she nodded, unable to find her voice. "Good." He smiled and glanced over at his friend. Tristan started back towards the door they had come from and Joey began to move with him.

"W-wait..." Sakura found herself saying. Joey paused. He had slipped out of her grip, but only made it a few feet. "Can... Can you walk me home?" She didn't like feeling weak and vulnerable, but she wasn't above asking for help if it meant she'd be safe.

"Sure." He said, then turned to Tristan. "Hey, stay with Yug's gramps. I'll head over to the game shop soon." Tristan nodded and Joey looked back at Sakura. The walk to her home was long, but she felt secure with Joey there. They made small talk while walking, and though he wasn't exactly smart in her book, he made for great conversation. He was kind and caring, which made up for her having to define some of the words she used, or trying to find different ones that he understood. He was actually quite sweet.

"Thank you so much... and... I'm sorry for yelling at you and being mean." She couldn't quite look him in the eye as she said it, but she felt the need for it to be out in the open.

"Hey, no problem, I know I'm real annoying and stuff sometimes. Just... tell me to knock it off. Kay?" He said, smiling and running his fingers through his hair. She couldn't help but feel comfortable with him. He was so... personable... once you got to know him. She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Will do." She watched the blush run across his cheeks and smiled as she backed into her home. He was kinda cute, after all.

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><p>Monday's first block went smoothly. Sakura was proud to admit that she had finished fourteen characters, a landscape and a key figure. She was a little nervous because she hadn't done a key figure yet, and had no previous attempts to base what he would want off of, but she was proud nonetheless. She just felt so... inspired all of the sudden.<p>

Unfortunately when she got to study hall, Kaiba wasn't in. She poked her head into the room he used to study when he was frustrated or unable to focus in other settings, but he wasn't there either. Sighing, she returned to the study hall.

"I still cant believe Kaiba's such a jackass." Joey said as she entered the room. She glanced at him curiously, but his focus wasn't on her. She knew he didn't get along with Kaiba, but she couldn't help to wonder what was wrong this time.

"It's one thing to challenge someone to a duel for a card, it's a different one to rip it up in front of them and be just... cruel." The girl, Tea said. Sakura paused. Had Kaiba actually done that? She figured he was more restrained... mature than that.

"He really did that?" She couldn't help but ask. Joey turned to face her, along with the others, and tossed her a quick bashful smile, but remembered the conversation.

"Yeah, Yugi's grandpa had a really rare card that he really loved, and Kaiba took it and ripped it up in front of him." He informed her. She was truly shocked. One of the things she admired about him the most was his maturity and responsibility. Apparently that went straight out the window when it came to that stupid card game. She had to visit him after school anyways. She would find out the truth there.

The day seemed to drag on as she waited for the final bell. She barely heard a word her teacher had been saying, but the Numbers and Statistics class was one of the easiest she had, and she already knew the information the teacher was explaining. At last, the bell rang, and she could leave.

Kaiba Corp stood tall and intimidating as ever, reigning down over the rest of the city. She moved to the lobby and the receptionist greeted her.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here to see Mr. Kaiba." The woman looked over Sakura with a raised eyebrow. She obviously wasn't used to getting such a formal response from such a young girl.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked, following protocol.

"No, I'm just dropping off some documents for one of his projects."

"I'll deliver them." She said, holding out her hand.

"I'm afraid I have to do it in person. He specifically said they were strictly confidential." Sakura tried. She also presented an identification document Kaiba had given her in case she needed to see him at his place of business. The woman sighed and pressed a button on the machine in front of here.

"There's a young girl to see Mr. Kaiba. Says she has some documents for him."

"I don't have time to be bothered." Kaiba's voice came angrily through the machine. The woman jumped, startled that he was the one to answer her himself.

"Tell him it's Sakura Miko." She said, hoping it would change his mind. The woman's finger trembled above the button and Sakura could tell she had very little direct contact with him.

"S-Sir, she said she's Sakura Miko..." there was a pause, making the woman instantly regret adding to her message.

"... Send her up." His voice held a tinge of frustration and he sighed heavily. Sakura started up the elevator, switching to the other when the time came. She wasn't used to being in buildings large enough to warrant two separate elevators to get to the top, but she wasn't about to make a fuss. At least she didn't have to take the stairs.

"Come in." His gruff voice called as she knocked on the door.

"It's Monday, so I brought the pictures." She explained as he waved her near. She looked at him closer and he seemed as if he hadn't slept in days. "What... happened to you?" He looked up at her tiredly and dismissed her question, turning down to go through her portfolio. "Did you really take that man's card and rip it up?" His icy blue gaze shot to her.

"That's not of your concern." He challenged her to keep his gaze, and unlike so many before her, she did.

"What is wrong with you? Over a stupid game?" She huffed. His fingers curled around the piece he held and his jaw tensed. It was more than a game to him. "You know, I first heard it and I thought, 'Never. Not Kaiba. He's too mature for that kind of thing.' But here you are. You couldn't leave a poor old man alone. You had to go and act a fool." He slammed his fists into the desk before him. Who did she think she was? Who did she think she was talking to? Especially now. He didn't even know who he was anymore. He did hurt someone... but if the old man would have just sold him the card, it wouldn't have had to come to that... and then... Yugi... How could he have lost?

He had been the number one in everything he did. He couldn't fail in the one thing he loved doing. It was a fluke. It had to be a fluke. But it still happened. Yugi still beat him. Heart of the cards... It kept playing over and over in his head. No, that was bull. He lost... He lost because he doubted himself. He would never doubt himself again. He knew he was right. He was always right. So it was no different now.

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to?" He demanded, now assured that no matter what she had to say, he had done nothing wrong. "You realize, I've fired people for less?" But he forgot, Sakura was just as stubborn as he.

"You spoiled little brat. Look at yourself. Some CEO. You get so riled up over some card game that you cant face the truth. You're such a narcissist. Or is it deeper than that? Maybe you just have such a cripplingly low self esteem that you have to be right at all times just to feel like you're worth everyone's breath, or that you really deserve everything. But that shit doesn't work on me. Yes, you work hard, and you're damned smart, but you don't deserve the world because of it.

"You cant just crush people because it suits you. Destroying things people care about... people's jobs and careers. You know what, I'm not going to give you the satisfaction." She marched up, ripping the papers from him and stuffing them harshly back into the portfolio. "I quit. I'm not working for a punk like you." She moved to the door, glancing back at the speechless boy. "If you ever grow up and learn to take the truth, call me. Maybe we can work something out then."

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><p>Kaiba regretted his choice to attend school the second Sakura stepped in to the study hall. What's worse is he could have left and gone to his private room, but chose not to. What was wrong with him? No, He swore he wouldn't doubt himself. He's there, in class with the rest of them because he is strong. Because he knows he can deal with her and her foolish words. No matter how much they sank into his mind.<p>

She didn't look at him throughout the class. He caught himself glancing at her more than he'd like to admit, but her eyes never graced him. Maybe he had been a bit selfish... Maybe he hadn't treated her with the respect that she, unlike the rest of them, actually deserved. She hadn't lied to him. She had never been fake with him... Why would she start now? Perhaps he had gone too far.

He felt so lost... like, everything was falling apart. Everything he knew and believed in felt... tainted. He wanted to say something. To do something, but the shame... he couldn't. He wouldn't suffer that kind of blow. All he had left was pride... but still...

"Hey, Joey?" He heard Sakura call as the bell rang. He couldn't keep himself from looking up. Joey separated from the rest of the group as the went to their next class then turned and flashed a smile at her that made Kaiba want to kick something. He was always happy. What did he do to deserve that? "I wanna thank you for this weekend." She said, almost bashfully. Kaiba looked her over, utterly confused. What happened that weekend?

"Nah, don't mention it. But seriously, if anyone gives you any more trouble..."

"I'll know who to call." She finished for him and he gave her another smile. Trouble? Did something happen to her? "But I still want to pay you back. Why don't you let me take you to dinner?" Kaiba's jaw dropped. She couldn't possibly be asking out that... that... dog, could she? He was so beneath her. "Do you like Chinese?" She looked up at him and he nodded excitedly

"You sure?" He asked and she flashed him a smile of her own.

"Of course, you are, after all, my hero." She said in a cheesy fashion. Kaiba almost wanted to puke, and then she did something that made him definitely want to puke. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. It was ridiculous. She should have higher standards then that mutt. What was she doing to herself? "So, are you free tonight?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah sure thing." He extended an arm and she took it as they walked out of the room. Kaiba knew for a fact that there was definitely something wrong in this life. He just had to settle his stomach before taking making any more moves.

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><p>"Hey, That was great." Joey said, completely full. "Um, I wanted to talk to you." He said, getting serious, which struck Sakura as odd. "Yugi... Yugi's grandpa's in trouble." Sakura looked up at him worriedly.<p>

"Did Kaiba do something else?" She asked, not sure if she wanted the truth.

"No, not this time. No it's Pegasus."

"Pegasus?"

"The creator of Duel monsters." He said. Of course it was. Was everyone obsessed with this game? "Ever since Yugi beat Kaiba, it looks like his name got tagged as one of the biggest duelists. I guess Pegasus saw it and decided he wanted Yugi in his upcoming tournament."

"What does this have to do with Yugi's grandfather?"

"Well, as an incentive... and you're gonna think I'm crazy... But he took his soul." Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"His soul?"

"Yeah, I don't really know too much about it either, all we know is Yugi's gramps is in a coma and we think Pegasus did it." Sakura covered her mouth with her hand. Even if the soul stealing wasn't true, the coma was bad enough.

"What are you going to do about it?" She asked warily.

"We're gonna go join the tournament. We're gonna find Pegasus and make him fix it." He said with strength in his voice.

"When?"

"Spring break. A few days from now. I wanted to let you know, because I'm not gonna be in touch for a while." He said, taking her hands in his.

"I understand. Do what you need to do." She said warmly. He smiled down at her and she gave him a short hug. "Just be careful."

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**So, actually getting the plot involved now, huh? And not going in the direction you thought it would, is it? Just keep reading, it explains itself in time, I promise!**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~LOVE**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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The two weeks of spring vacation went slowly. Sakura actually found herself with very little if anything to do. Jiro was in the hospital full time now. His condition was worsening faster than the doctors could keep up with. She knew they didn't want to alarm her, but it was plain as day that Jiro had much less time than six months. Apparently the tumor began growing, not faster, but in a different direction, and was crushing multiple parts of his brain, causing complex issues that they were constantly finding and having to deal with.

She actually couldn't wait for school to start back up again, which wasn't too big of a surprise. But now she had something else to look forward to. Joey would be back. She got to study hall early and waited for him to arrive. She didn't have to wait long, the group came in together, laughing and talking as usual. She offered them a smile as they found their way to their seats. Behind them she caught a glimpse of Kaiba entering. His eyes met hers for an instant, but she turned to Joey.

"Hey, welcome back."

"Yeah. It's good to be back." He replied. He hadn't quite made eye contact with her, and she was beginning to think something was wrong.

"Did you save Yugi's grandfather?" She asked, trying to get him to say something more.

"Yeah. And I won a lot of money." He said proudly, finally looking her in the eye.

"Not to mention met that girl." Tristan snickered. Joey glared at him, but the damage was done.

"Girl?" Sakura asked, looking Joey over. Kaiba glanced between them all. He had had a lot of time to think while he was at Pegasus' island. He owed Yugi for saving him and his brother, but held no love for his friends. Still, throughout it all, he couldn't figure out why Sakura was interested in the moronic dog. He had tried to focus while out there, but she had always crept into his mind. He was afraid it was too late though. She was one of the few he considered as a potential friend. Not being good at relationships to begin with, he'd only imagine failure if he tried to mend an already broken one. After all of the failure he'd experienced in the last few weeks, he couldn't deal with anymore of them.

"Yeah... I actually wanted to talk to you about that." Kaiba watched as Sakura fell into herself. Joey couldn't possibly be doing what he thought he was doing... He couldn't be. She was way too good for him. He couldn't be saying... "I met someone... And nothing happened." He felt he needed to point out. "I just... I cant stop thinking about her and-"

"No, it's fine. I mean, we only dated once. It's not like we were serious or anything." She said, giving him a polite smile. Kaiba saw right through it. He could tell when she had her guard up, and she was definitely hiding herself somewhere within.

"Really?" Joey was not observant enough, or maybe, just didn't know her well enough to distinguish when she was not being honest. He gave her a warm smile and she turned away, unable to look at him anymore.

"Is... Is she pretty?" She said, trying to get the focus off of herself and honestly curious. She wasn't the type to get jealous, but she knew which of her features were her strong ones, and she had really never been called pretty, or considered herself attractive. She was always too busy to think of fluffing herself up for some boy. She was sure she could put on makeup and make herself look good, but that wasn't something she wanted misconstrued. Now she almost wished she had put more effort into herself.

When she looked up, Joey had turned away, obviously trying to think of a way to answer honestly and still not hurt her. She must be beautiful. When someone finally did speak however, it wasn't Joey.

"Oh man, She's got perfect blonde hair, and legs that go on forever and the best ra-"

"Tristan!" Joey shouted, stopping him mid word and forcing him to look over himself. He realized he was squeezing the air around his chest in a lewd fashion and straightened himself. Sakura fell farther into herself. Not only was she being dumped, now her entire self esteem was crushed.

"Well, that's great. Um, I forgot something in my art class, but I'll see you guys later." She said, excusing herself as her control crumbled from her. Joey rose to follow her but stopped suddenly. He looked down and reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. He glanced up at the teacher, then moved to a spot where he wasn't well seen and answered it.

"Hey, Mai?..." Kaiba couldn't believe it. He actually did it. That idiot threw away possibly the best, smartest thing to ever look his way. For what? Some curvy bimbo? Kaiba had had his fill of those. They were shallow and heartless. They either wanted some pretty boy or a walking wallet, two things that mutt definitely wasn't. He literally threw away the best thing to come to him for something that wouldn't look at him twice.

Kaiba almost rose and followed her out of the room, but stopped himself. Why would she ever want to talk to him? Especially after their last conversation. He sat back down and sighed. He should just leave her alone. She'll be happier that way. Right?

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><p>Kaiba spent the entire night thinking about any reason at all to talk to her. He knew he wanted her to return to work for him. With Mokuba's kidnapping and the whole Pegasus fiasco, he hadn't considered anyone to replace her yet, and he figured he'd have a hell of a time finding someone with her work ethic, talents, and professionalism that didn't annoy the crap out of him. But how could he ask her to return? She was completely right. He was being selfish and childish. There were more mature ways of dealing with problems, and he had truly been in the wrong.<p>

That was it. He would tell her he was wrong. And if he could work up the guts, he would tell her he wanted her to come back to work for him. He left for school with that being the only thing on his mind. When he got to the building, he found he was late. The bell had already rung and she would have left her first art block to go where ever the art class went for the second block. He knew they took the class to a different room for some reason, but didn't know where. He would have to wait for study hall. The issue there was, he'd be saying all of this in front of Yugi and his lame friends, which only complicated things.

What if she turned him down? In the middle of everyone... in front of Yugi and his gang. He didn't know if he could take it. He didn't want to deal with anyone other than her. Sitting and waiting for her to show up, he could hear Joey talking on the phone with who he presumed was the bimbo. If anything, she was lucky to be rid of him. He's just proven he's as shallow as the broad he left Sakura for. She should be marching in the room any minute now, holding her head high and completely free of him as a burden on her.

When fifteen minutes passed and she didn't make an appearance, he began to wonder. Could she have skipped to avoid Joey? How could she let him effect her so? Suddenly a girl entered. She poked her head in and glanced through the class. The teacher questioned her, but she held up some papers and started towards Kaiba.

"It'll be just a second." She said to the teacher, then turned to Kaiba, the smile she had just given the teacher fading instantly. "Here. Sakura's papers and identification stuff for Kaiba Corp. She forgot to give them to you yesterday." She handed him the papers and he took them looking at her curiously.

"Where is she?" The girl rolled her eyes.

"She's out today." She said briefly. Apparently she didn't like Kaiba at all, but he was used to this as a reaction from some people.

"She cant possibly be this torn up about her break up." He said, not willing to accept that someone as low as Joey could hurt her like that.

"Break... Do you practice being an asshole? Or does it come naturally? Cause I picture you as a natural sort." She said venomously. " She's not skipping because of some lame boy issues. She's... She's planning a funeral." It couldn't be. The last he had heard, he still had six months left. It had only been about two. The girl turned to leave, but Kaiba's arm shot out, grabbing hers and stopping her. She turned to glare at him incredulously, but he didn't release her.

"... Jiro?" He asked, worried about the answer. The girl's angry glare turned to a look of sadness and she couldn't keep his stare. She nodded quietly and he let go, allowing her to retreat into the hall. Kaiba stood there, frozen as the classroom watched him. Without a word, he gathered his things and left.

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><p>The papers sat in front of her in a messy pile. She tried to go over them, but no matter how much she tried to focus on them, the pain of their meaning clouded her ability to function. She knew she had to get them done and mailed out by the next day or they wouldn't be processed in time, but... it was just so hard. She thought she had more time. She thought she'd have been able to at least say goodbye. It wasn't supposed to be like this.<p>

A knock at the door momentarily ripped her from her depression. She looked down at herself and cringed. She was still in her pajamas and hadn't showered yet. Her face was still red and puffy and no matter what she tried, her tears were constantly threatening to spill out. She debated pretending she wasn't home, but the knock came again. She sighed and went to answer it after an eternity of mulling it over.

The door moved slowly as she opened it. Her body had been rather lethargic since the night before and she hadn't gotten any sleep, so she wasn't even close to one hundred percent. Her eyes traveled p to her visitor and her breath stopped.

"Kaiba..." Her gaze fell away immediately, but she did catch a glimpse of something in his eyes. It almost looked like pity... but... no, it was... sympathy? The fact that she couldn't keep his gaze told him how broken she was, and she knew it. She wasn't about to look and act like a fool. Not in front of him, nor anyone. She had pride too.

Her eyes wandered to the stack of papers in his hand, and she noticed they were her identification and employee status reports for Kaiba Corp. She straightened herself and controlled her breathing, then looked him in the eye again.

"Is there something missing?" She asked, holding out her hand for the papers so she could double check. She had shut down her emotions and put back on her business face like he had done so many times. So much so that he almost thought that his business face was the only one he had. Seeing her like that... Like him... It killed him. He dropped the papers to the floor, moved to her and hugged her.

She blinked a few times, wondering if this was really happening. She was paralyzed in his arms, unsure of what to do or where to go from here. He looked around at her home and it felt... empty. On the counter he spotted the papers she had been struggling with over and over. He broke from her, moving to the papers and she, still in shock at what had just happened, could only close the door and look at him as he picked up and read what she hadn't done.

"These... These aren't done." He observed. He looked up at her and she back to him.

"I was just getting to them, I-"

"Drop it." He said rather rudely. She looked up at him confusedly and he pierced her with his own stare. "Stop with all the emotional vacancy. Jiro deserves better than this." He watched as she slowly began to tremble. Walls were coming down and he planned on being there to catch her when she finally fell.

"I... I tried... I keep going over the papers and when I reach the bottom I realize... I haven't read a freaking word." She said between unsteady breaths. He moved next to her and guided her to a stool, sitting her in it and going around the bar fashioned table, putting it and the papers between them. He leaned against the table and removed a pen from his breast pocket. He read all of the documents individually while she tried to stop herself from crying.

"Sign here... and here... and on this." He said, pointing out where she needed to write. She did as he instructed and he took the pen back, dated the pages and continued on. "Do you have a funeral home in mind?" He asked, picking up one of the slips.

"I was thinking of having it here." She admitted absently. Kaiba glanced around the room and sighed.

"You're not having it here. You're not emotionally stable enough to have it in your home." He said and she looked at him, seeing the truth in what he was saying. He wrote something down on the paper that she couldn't see and moved on to the next issue. "What about flowers?" He handed her a page that had several flower arrangements on it for her to look over. She glanced at them and back to him.

"He loved geraniums." She said quietly, taking the pen to mark off the box next to the small geranium and lilac arrangement, but Kaiba took the pen and marked off the larger selection, placing a number in the box for quantity. "No, I cant afford that one, the small one is-"

"Don't worry about it." He cut her off. She looked up at him and shook her head.

"I'm not taking gifts." She said plainly and he smiled.

"Good, because this isn't a gift. Consider it a bribe." She looked up at him questioningly. "I want you to work for me. Hopefully this will... hold weight on your decision." He said, then moved onto another slip to fill out. She sank into herself quietly, trying to figure out what was happening. Finally she rose from her seat. Kaiba finished what he was writing and glanced over at her, just in time to see her pull him into a hug as she sniffled and squeezed him. It was his turn to freeze up.

"Oh come on now. This isn't going to happen often, might as well hug me back this one time." She said into his blazer. His arms moved on their own to circle her and he rubbed her back.

"I... I was wrong... I'm sorry."

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**Another chappie done. I'm speeeeeeedy. don't forget to review and tell me what you all think (sounds like a broken record)**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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A deep breath told him the air was clean, crisp, and cool, a perfect day so far. For some reason he had extra energy. He felt wonderful. He hated to admit, but maybe Yugi and his friends weren't completely full of crap. I did feel good doing nice things for others. Or at least, others that he cared about. That he cared about? Did he, the Seto Kaiba actually find someone he cared about? All signs pointed to yes. He glanced up and watched as Sakura made her way into her seat.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, a little upset. "You should be at home or resting or something." She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"You know me better than that, I'd be bored all day long. Not to mention sad. I still have to clean out his room." Despite the topic, she had a smile on and an empty voice. Kaiba could see her guard was up, but wasn't about to point it out. He did know her better than that. "Hey, before I go back to work for you, I-"

"Let me guess, one stipulation?" He cocked his own eyebrow and offered his classic smirk, making her laugh out.

"Yeah. I'm going to be honest. If you cant take it, tell me now. I'm not going to fluff your ego and 'yes' you to death. I know you're going to correct me, but you have to be willing to take it in return. I'm not going to be mean, or brutal, just honest." He nodded. In truth, that's exactly what he knew he needed. He also knew he wouldn't always be open for criticism but he was willing to take it. He wasn't perfect, and she was one of the few he respected enough to correct him and help him rise above his imperfections, to better himself.

"Treat me... As you would a friend." Sakura stared at him with jaw dropped. "Excluding while you're at work for me." He added, but changed his mind. "No... even then. Granted, I'm going to have to place my own stipulation on this." She closed her mouth and waited for him to name his demands. "I want you honest with me at all times. Work or no. Even if it's not about me. I will test this."

"That's... Alright. I will. And, you really don't want me to treat you like a friend. I'm horrible to my friends." She said with a short laugh.

"Well, it'll give me time to practice having a friend." He chuckled. She started to smile, but it faded when Joey entered the room, followed by Yugi and the rest of them.

"Hey, Sakura, I saw you were out of school yesterday. You ok?" He asked cheerily. Kaiba watched her guard go back up as she faced him.

"Yeah it wasn't anything to be concerned over." She said trying to keep their conversation short. Kaiba looked at her and decided it was time for the first test. He knew she was hurting. She wasn't ok. She just needed to admit it.

"_Are_ you ok?" Kaiba asked, injecting himself into their conversation. Sakura turned her gaze on him, but was not pleased. She knew what he was trying to do, and that he knew the truth. She accepted his condition, so the only thing she could do was tell him the truth... and in front of everyone, contradict herself.

"Kaiba I just asked-"

"No." she cut Joey off and he turned to her surprised. "And that was low." She added, but Kaiba got the answer he had hoped for.

"What's wrong?"Joey asked, concern clear in his voice.

"None of your business, mutt. If she wanted to tell you, she wouldn't have said she was alright when you asked." Kaiba said to him.

"Hey, back of jerk. I'm talkin' to her, not you. Why don't you go count your money or something?" Sakura sighed heavily.

"No, he has a point. I really don't want to talk about it. I'm not alright, but I'd rather not draw it out. I'm not a very open person." She said, trying to stop their quarreling. Joey sat back down in his seat, confused at why she was taking Kaiba's side all of the sudden. She turned away and decided to change the subject. "So, same deal as last time?"

"No. I don't want you spending all your time alone in your house. I've been looking for a new personal secretary at Kaiba Corp for a few weeks now and I think you'd fit in perfectly." He informed her. Suddenly her encounter with the receptionist at the lobby made sense. If he had a secretary, they would have been the one to answer the receptionist instead of him doing it personally. "You're qualified, and I don't have to worry about you pissing me off." He said, flipping open his laptop.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far." She said with a wink. "I'm supposed to be treating you like a friend, right?" He smirked.

"That I can handle."

"You have no idea what you're in for. When do I start?"

"As soon as you feel you're ready."

"So... today?" He looked at her in amusement. "I have to get out of that place."

"Fine. Need a ride?" He offered. Kaiba Corp was across town and if she walked it would take her hours to get there. She nodded happily, but something crossed her mind and she glanced at him with an odd look.

"What about the designs for the project?" He smirked. He liked how quickly she thought through things.

"As my personal secretary, you will be sitting at the desk outside my office, making sure no one bothers me who doesn't have an appointment or is in an emergency. You might be doing some light filing and, you'll definitely be accompanying me to outings, but other than that, there's a lot of down time. You can work on them at the desk. You'll receive commission just like before, on top of the hourly pay. Just make sure you're not neglecting your duties." She smiled brightly, making him feel like he'd dome something extraordinary again.

"Sure, but I'm afraid my previous speed will be reduced... also... I still have those pieces from... last time." She looked down and chewed her bottom lip. He shook his head and just started typing on his laptop, hinting that she should also get some of her papers done, so she could go to work that night.

* * *

><p>"We're taking a limo?" She asked as they approached the vehicle.<p>

"No, it's a Volkswagen Buggie." He said sarcastically. She gave him a fake 'ha ha ha' before turning to him.

"What happened to that cute little sports car you drove?" She asked, trying to keep the sun out of her eyes as she looked up at him. Was he always this tall? She could barely make out his raised eyebrow.

"Why, you got a thing for sports cars?" He opened the limo door for her and waited for her to enter, effectively confusing the driver who had just stepped out to do it for him.

"All girls do. Haven't you ever heard the Good Charlotte song? Girls don't like boys, they like cars and money." She giggled, seating herself. He followed her in and closed the door.

"Really? Well I have both." He said with a playful smirk.

"Mr. Kaiba! I'm not that kind of secretary." She said, laughing and gently pushing his shoulder. He did something to surprise her farther, and laughed with her. She looked forward to working for him again, but even more, she was excited to be his friend and learn about him.

When they approached Kaiba corp, it didn't seem all that scary anymore. He led her to the top floor via a private elevator, built to go directly to his office. Once it opened, he moved in to the room, leaving her to do nothing but follow him. On his desk he lifted a few cards and papers and presented them to her. They were ID cards and Kaiba Corp protocol papers, like the ones she had before, but these were electronic ones, build to open the doors of even the highest security areas.

"You already had them made? Wasn't that presumptuous of you?" She teased. He pulled the cards back before she could grab them and she looked up at him.

"I can always make you wait the two weeks everyone else did, if that feels fairer." He smirked as she offered him her saddest fake pout.

"But I'm special." She said, and he chuckled. He handed her the cards and moved to the doors to his office, unlocking them and letting her out. Her desk stood, nothing impressive, but she didn't need much to do a good job. He instructed her on how to use the intercom, then the computer.

"It's an unusual operating system that I created, based off of Linux platforms."

"Which is it like the most?" She asked and he looked at her questioningly. "Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora..." He was stunned. She knew computers as well?

"Debian..."

"Oh, good, That's what I've got on my laptop at home. How similar are they?" She was full of surprises.

"In user interface? Near identical. I've changed some things, added and subtracted, but as far as navigating, you wont be able to tell the difference."

"Then what apps am I going to be using? The OS I can work with, I just need the specific programs." She was proving to be the best decision he ever made. He wondered if it was bad that hearing her using computer terminology made him extra happy, but shrugged it off. He proceeded to explain which programs were necessary to do her work and the known issues with the system.

"Every once in a while, something on the computer will cut out the intercom. If this lasts and you need to get in touch with me, just knock." She nodded and he disappeared into his office. After an hour or so of practicing with the programs, she felt she was secure enough to use them when the time came. Kaiba Corp was only open for a few more hours and between phone calls she drew the designs for the people of his virtual world. She somehow immediately felt... comfortable. Like she was meant to be sitting there, doing this.

About five minutes before her shift was supposed to come to an end, she began packing up and wondered how she should go about leaving. She figured it would be rude to just take off, but didn't want to disturb him if he was busy. She didn't know what time he was going to be leaving either. She decided to try out the intercom, and reached slowly over to the box that was on the far corner of her desk.

"Um, Mr. Kaiba?" She called into the box while holding the button down.

"The doors to Kaiba Corp are locked, if you need me, just come in." He said shortly and she heard a click. A few seconds later, she poked her head in.

"I didn't know when Kaiba Corp closed, and I know you said my shift is over around now. I just didn't know exactly... what to do."

"I guess I did leave that part unobserved. The doors get locked at seven. After that you can come and go as you please. When your shift ends at eight, you come in here and I take you home." He said, folding his laptop and packing his briefcase.

"Oh, Ok. Hey, do you know the bus rout around town?" He looked at her blankly.

"...No."

"I didn't think so. I'll look it up when I get home." She said with a smile as he cocked an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Oh, for when I go home tomorrow."

"What part of, 'and I take you home' didn't you understand?" She looked him over for a second, but he was still standing there, smirking down at her.

"You... shouldn't have to take me home every night. I'm an employee. Just a secretary." She said, still somewhat in disbelief. He chuckled a bit, moving to his private elevator and typing in the security code.

"But, you're special."

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**So, I realize now that I've made Joey look kind of sleazy in the last chapter. That was not intended. It was Kaiba's opinion that he's sleazy, but outside of that I tried to portray him as more of an idiot. A nice guy, but not very good with words... or thinking... or really much at all... I have a brother just like him...**

**Also, I'd like to remind you all that I update once per day. Between 9Am and 11:30 AM EST. For those of you who don't have/cant get story alerts. I am fairly consistent in my updating and now that Last Night of The Kings (SetoXSerenity Fantasy fic) is complete, I will continue to be. Possibly even faster, but no promises.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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"Oh, the little car." Sakura said happily as Kaiba led her to the student parking. She enjoyed school, but this was what she was waiting for. Working at Kaiba Corp was so exciting and she felt so important when she was there. It was definitely self esteem boosting. He moved to open the car door for her and she smiled as she seated herself in the passenger spot.

"Listen, I wanted to talk to you." He entered the car and turned the key, starting the ignition.

"Uh oh, you're not breaking up with me are you?" She said playfully. He smirked and she was pleased with herself.

"No, it's about after we graduate." She put on her big girl shoes and got down to business.

"Any plans for Kaiba Corp?"

"Yes, I'm going to be holding a dueling tournament. It'll showcase one of the projects that I'll be finishing up testing in the next two weeks. It should get the company a lot of media."

"Not to mention give you a chance to be champion again." She pointed out. He didn't say anything, but she knew it to be true. It had been one of the things constantly on his mind. "You know, after all the things you've created and made possible through that game, don't you get bored with it sometimes?"

"No." She could tell it was a touchy subject, and he knew where she stood with the game, so she dropped it. "After we graduate, are you going to be available to work full time?"

"Sure thing. By then I should be able to get my own car." She said, picking up her cell phone and checking it. He waited for her to be done before asking what was up. " It's just a voice mail from the child services. They've given me permission to live alone for the next month until I turn eighteen." He nodded, agreeing with the decision.

"Wait... Your birthday is in a month?"

"Yeah, You sound shocked that I am aging."

"That's not... Isn't it customary for a friend to give gifts for birthdays?"

"Yup. Lucky you didn't wait a month to try to be friends. I've never had a rich friend before." She laughed. "But seriously, I don't want any gifts this year. Just call or something."

"I don't think I've ever heard of anyone turning down free gifts."

"At the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy, just having my friends around me is gift enough." He chuckled a bit and she glared at him.

"You sound like that girl that follows Yugi around."

"Well, let me 'Sakura' it up, Consider your gift to me the fact that you put up with me."

"I can do that. But I'm still getting you something."

"I wont accept it." He glanced at her while stopped at a red light. Their childish verbal tug of war continued the entire drive and a little more through their elevator ride up. It was actually quite fun. Acting like a child in harmless ways. Just joking around. Enjoying the little specs of time between working and being in front of people. It was... nice.

His shift went decently well. There weren't many interruptions and Sakura was getting the hang of quick responses. It wasn't a surprise that she proved trustworthy when if came to her judgment of who to let in and who to turn away. With a half hour of their shift left, Kaiba was burning through the final papers of the night. Suddenly his intercom buzzed into life. He could hear some clanking and rustling, but Sakura didn't speak through it.

He waited a moment and nothing changed. She was triggering the intercom unknowingly. He sighed and lifted himself, heading towards the door of his office when something made him pause. A tune. She was humming at her desk. He listened for a second then chuckled to himself.

The door squeaked open and he poked his head out. She hadn't yet noticed his presence, but that's not what stopped him. The intercom remained untouched on the corner of her desk. He sank back into his office for a second, and could still hear the slightly off echo of her humming. He strode out of his office and looked over what she was doing. In front of her, a clipboard sat as she sketched out one of the key figures he had described to her while she sung.

He reached out, startling her and lifted the clipboard off of the keyboard it rested on. He glanced at the back of the thing and then down at the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" He didn't answer, too consumed in what he was finding out. He held down a few keys, and when he found the right ones, the intercom cut out, linking to the one in his office. He smirked. Well that explained a bit.

"I've figured out our intercom problem. Hold down Control, M and F9." She did as he instructed and found herself connected to the intercom in his office.

"Well I'll be damned." She laughed. "Sorry, I didn't know."

"I guess you wouldn't have. Come on. I want to pack up early today." Sakura nodded, packed up and joined him in his office.

* * *

><p>Finally the day Sakura was dreading came. She had laid out her clothes the night before and set up a quick breakfast as well so she wouldn't be late. She had to be ready by nine and it was seven thirty. As much as she hated waking early on the weekend, she hadn't been able to sleep much that night, so it was really just a matter of getting up, not waking up.<p>

She showered, dressed, prepared and ate her breakfast, and then there was nothing left to do than wait. At half past eight there was a knock on her door. She didn't have to open it to know who it was.

"Come in, it's unlocked." She called and heard the latch click open.

"You know, with walls this thin, it's probably not a good thing to shout that." Kaiba said, stepping in.

"Pft, everyone knows I don't own shit." She said, trying to get her earring in. She paused, remembering the last time she tried to get that earring in and glanced at the couch. Something brushed against her hand, ripping her from her thoughts and she turned to see Kaiba standing over her.

"Hold still." He guided the stud through the hole and she looked away. "Hey, I have to use the bathroom, then we'll go. Be ready." He instructed, forgetting that he wasn't her boss outside of Kaiba Corp. He started down the side hall to the bathroom, but caught a glimpse of Jiro's old room. He moved to peek inside and found it just as it had been before. What else did he expect? She was at work all the time she wasn't in school. He knew she needed space to help heal, but she also had to deal with what needed to be done.

After he was finished in the restroom, he walked out into the kitchen where she stood. She was flattening her black blouse against her, a nervous habit she had shown every once in a while. He opened the front door and waited for her to exit first, then followed behind her, locking the door on his way out.

The church ceremony was nice, but in Sakura's opinion, too formal. Jiro would have wanted something more up beat, or from the heart. The priest read some scripture from the bible and recited the classic line "I didn't know _ in life, but I would have liked to". Sakura thought it would have been better for a friend to do it, but didn't want to pressure anyone else. The only person who spoke was Satoshi. Jiro's best friend. His part was her favorite.

"We're all here for Jiro. We always have been. Always will be. I could say he fought on and was strong to the bitter end, but with Sakura hanging over him, everyone knows he sat on his ass for his final time here. Playing video games and watching television." Satoshi looked fondly over the closed casket behind him. "And the little brat beat my ass at Soul Calibur four right up until the end as well.

"He was a guy who didn't just exist. He lived. He loved. He experienced. That's why I'm glad Sakura made him take it easy in the end. The boy just wouldn't quit. He never did either. I can still remember him calling me, wanting to go to the beach when he could barely walk. I have to admit Sakura, I snuck him out a few times." he flashed a smile at her and she shrugged.

"I knew." She said and he chuckled, continuing.

"Of course you did. There's no doubt at all that Jiro was easy to love. And no one loved him more than his little sister. And there was no one he loved more. But he also loved you all... Jiro... Just look at these people." He said turning to the casket again. "Look at how they've gathered for you. To respect you. To love you. You touched the lives of everyone you've ever met, and we'll never forget you. I love you man." He laid his hand on the casket and wished his final goodbye to his friend.

Sakura rose from her seat next to Kaiba to hug Satoshi as he moved back to the pews. She brushed a tear from her eye, and continued back to her seat where Kaiba rose respectfully for her to sit. He kept a close eye on her, watching as her guard wavered. She went rapidly between completely guarded and on the verge of tears. He knew she would wear out soon, and tapped her on the shoulder. When she glanced up, he rose, pulling her up with him. He led her around back quietly and out the side door.

"You know there's nothing wrong with shedding some tears right now." He said, trying to get her to stop exhausting herself by hiding her feelings. "You're not at school, or work." She shook her head and brushed away another stray tear. He opened his mouth to say something, but the side door opened again and someone stepped out. The girl from study hall, the one who had informed him of Jiro's death, looked around until she spotted Sakura, then marched over to her.

"Sweetie?" She said, raising a hand and placing it on her arm.

"I'm ok." Sakura said, straightening herself.

"Oh please. How many times do I have to tell you, let it out." Sakura gave the girl a frustrated look, but said nothing. "At least do it out here while the others cant see you." Still Sakura didn't respond. "Don't make me poke you." She threatened. Kaiba wanted to stop her, but didn't know if he should. The girl hugged her and sighed. "You're going to cry today. I just don't want you to explode."

"I know." Sakura finally said, hugging her back. "I'm just not ready yet."

"Then come on, they're about to bring him out."

The ride in the limos to the cemetery was a short one, but it felt like forever. Kaiba remained next to her the entire time, partially for support and partially because he didn't know anyone else there. Sakura had to step away from the actual burial until she was needed to place the first rose on his casket. Everyone followed her lead and dropped their own rose and bid farewell. Kaiba led Sakura back to the limo for the reception and everyone followed it there.

Sakura wasn't supposed to have found out where he planned the reception, but the sneaky little girl uncovered it in a file he was trying to hide from her. When they got to the building, she was not surprised at all. The limo carrying her, Kaiba, and the girl Kaiba later found out was her best friend, Steph, pulled up first, a few minutes before the others would arrive. He wanted to make sure everything was alright, as usual. Mel opened the door for him and greeted him.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba, thank you again for selecting us for your business." She said with the same fake smile Sakura had seen her use with any customer who had deep pockets.

"Actually, it's not my business, it's her's." He stepped aside, letting Sakura enter.

"Ah... Sakura-" She began, but Kaiba cut her off.

"It's Miss Miko. Unless you greet all your patrons with such informality?" Mel immediately stopped, and gave a polite bow to Sakura.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Miko." She said, but everyone knew it was not sincere.

"Are the tables ready?" He said cutting short their greetings. They didn't have much time before the others would arrive.

"Yes this way." Mel led them into the great hall that she had worked in once before. The decorations were different, but more than she could have asked for. "If I may, what is the occasion?" She asked, stopping and leaning towards Sakura.

"A funeral." She said quickly, continuing forward and leaving Mel where she had paused. "Kaiba... I know how much this costs... and that alone is too-"

"I swear Sakura, you just cant let a good thing be." He cut her off, smirking. He turned to look down at her and his smile faded. She had been looking at the ground, tears threatening to spill out again. She lifted a hand to her eyes and covered them.

"I'm sorry..." She said, trying to force out a smile, but she ended up looking more pained then anything. He put a hand on her shoulder and glanced around for Steph. When he found her, she caught his gaze and rushed over. Steph hugged the girl to her and muttered soothing words while stroking her hair. Kaiba felt completely out of place and even worse, useless. He didn't know how to comfort people. He was barely learning how to be nice. All he could do now, was make sure everything was handled, so she had little left to deal with.

The rest of the night went smoothly. Many people approached Sakura to wish her well and offer their condolences. Steph took up Kaiba's position at her side, so he made himself busy checking on the food and tables. He almost felt like a waiter, but he didn't mind. Once the people started thinning out he waited for an opportunity to steal Steph away. That opportunity came when Satoshi approached Sakura and gave her a big hug. Kaiba slipped behind Steph and tapped her shoulder.

"I need to speak with you for a second." He said, and moved away from Sakura. Steph followed, but raised an eyebrow in question. "I know this isn't my place, but someone's gotta help her with her brother's room. She said she needed to pack it up, but it's not done, and right now all it's doing is hovering over her." Steph glanced at the ground for a second and sighed.

"It's not going to be easy... but... I think I can help." She said, knowing it was something that needed to be done. "So... you really care about her, right?" Kaiba looked at her confusedly. "Please. You're stumbling over yourself trying to make her happy."

"She... just lost her brother..."

"You're so... transparent." She finished, walking away before he could say anymore. Transparent? He supposed he did care about her and wasn't trying to hide it at all, but... stumbling over himself? No. What he had been doing, any friend would do... right?

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**I'm loving all the reviews! Don't forget this is my first OC. If you guys have any issues at all with the way I'm writing, or if you don't think I'm portraying something correctly, or realistically, please let me know. I strive for perfection**. **Also, if you spot any grammatical errors or typos, please point them out so I can fix them. I know mistakes can turn a great fic into an average one. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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Over the next month nothing out of the ordinary happened, other than a few small hiccups with the duel disk technology and Sakura ripping into him for going behind her back and plotting with Steph. He was off the hook soon enough, but it didn't help that he couldn't remove the smirk from his lips the entire time. His intercom buzzed to life as his Sunday secretary called for him.

"Sir, there's a young girl here to see you without an appointment." He grumbled before replying. He wished his weekend secretary was as professional as Sakura was.

"I don't have time for fans." He snapped into the box. He began writing something down when the intercom buzzed to life again.

"I'm sorry si-" The woman was cut off by a voice in the background.

"You wish I was a fan. Let me up." Stephs voice replaced the secretary's while she apologized over and over.

"Come right up." He said with a sigh. It took her a while to ride the elevators up, but she finally gave a knock on his door and opened it a moment after. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked sarcastically. He knew she was Sakura's best friend, but it didn't mean he had to trust her right away.

"Sakura's birthday is in two days. I want to have a party for her. I've been talking to her friends, and you were the last on the list."

"The last?"

"Do you know how hard it is to get your phone number? Freakin impossible." He smirked, Of course it was.

"Has she done anything with his room yet?" Steph looked at him funny.

"No... I don't think she knows what to do with it."

"I'm pretty sure he'd want her be happy in it." He said pensively. Steph nodded. Jiro was all about chasing happiness. "What makes her happy?"

"Music and drawing." Steph said with a shrug. "Oh, and scrap booking. She's good at that... actually... pretty much any craft."

"I have an idea. But I'll need your help."

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><p>"Hey, it's ten past. Time to pack it up." Sakura said into the intercom.<p>

"Five more minutes." He called back, but she heard a click and let herself into his office. He was at his desk, but completely packed and ready. She looked at him expectantly, but his attention was drawn to his phone. The thing buzzed in his hand and he finally glanced up. "Lets go." He said and punched in his code on his elevator.

"You ok? You've been quiet."

"I'm tired."

"... You're also hiding something." She observed. He mentally cursed himself for letting her read him so well. Too well. She just... understood him. It was uncommon, no, almost unheard of, for someone, anyone to get him the way she did. She was the kind of person he could probably spend the rest of his life with... wait... where did that come from?

"Yes, I'm a spy. I'm leaving for Iraq tomorrow to take out Al Qaeda." She snorted and he glanced down at her.

"No offense, but a pretty boy like you?" She laughed and he glared at her.

"What if I really was a spy?" She laughed again.

"You're too busy to be a spy."

"I... Concede that point." They made their way to the parking lot where Kaiba had his flashy little sports car that Sakura loved so much.

"Finally." They heard someone say, and both turned. Steph leaned against her own car and looked at the two with a smirk. "Come on, I'm stealing you." She said moving to Sakura and taking her by the arm. Sakura glanced up at Kaiba while being dragged away and shrugged. "Let's go. You're having a pre-birthday sleep over." Sakura paused.

"You know I don't like sleeping in places that are not my own bed." She said disapprovingly.

"So sorry, you don't get a choice." Sakura gave one final look at Kaiba before being dragged into her white Camry. He smirked as the second part of his plan worked out and climbed into his car. There was only one part left.

* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as she watched the buildings pass outside her window.<p>

"Where tomtom tells us to go." Steph said, earning a glare from her friend.

"This isn't the way... or any way to my house." Steph just ignored her, humming a slight tune, but Sakura didn't need to ask anymore questions. Their car pulled into one of the most famous estates there was. "What are you doing?" Sakura glared accusingly at her and she giggled. She parked as if she knew exactly where to go. The little brats plotted behind her back again. "You are in so much trouble."

"I am trouble." Steph got out and walked up to the front door, leading a grumpy Sakura to the mansion. It was huge. She didn't expect anything less. It had an old feel to it, giving it even more of an ominous, intimidating allure. They knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. A butler came forth and ushered them inside, where it took on more of a modern appeal. The butler led them into a room off to the side, where once inside, everyone jumped out in classic fashion and yelled 'surprise!'

"You guys are so dead." Sakura said with a grin. She didn't want a party or to put out the people she cared about, but she couldn't help but smile at their efforts. She gave hugs all around until she got to Kaiba. "You, mister, are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Maybe you are a spy." She laughed and he smiled down at her.

"If I told you the truth, I'd have to kill you." He said before she was taken away by a few of her friends to open gifts. She grumbled through the entire process, but was unable to hide her happiness very well. After the cake, the night wound down with a movie. Steph spent the first half cuddled with Sakura but before long her boyfriend stole her away, leaving Sakura alone on that couch. Kaiba moved to sit next to her and leaned in.

"You're having a great time." He whispered to her.

"I didn't realize." She said, trying to put away her smile, but failing. He chuckled, moving his arm around her. She looked up at him, but he just sat there, smile on his face and eyes glued to the movie. He was really something. She scooted closer, nuzzling into the crook of his arm and turned her eyes towards the television screen as he had done, now unable to see his smile widen.

After the movie, it was getting late. People began to filter out and Kaiba watched as she bid farewell to her friends.

"You ready?" Steph said, hanging onto her boyfriend and looking between him and Sakura. Kaiba stepped up before she could answer.

"I'll take her home." He said, making her look up at him confusedly.

"But I'm on the way..." She said glancing at Steph. She shrugged and looked up at her boyfriend with a smile and kissed his cheek. "Ew... On the other hand, I wont have to sit through that..." Steph stuck out her tongue but tossed Kaiba a wink. She knew how to get under Sakura's skin.

He drove her home in his Dodge Challenger, one of the American cars he owned. He selected it for the spacious interior, giving her plenty of room to store her things. Also, because she had pointed it out the last time she had seen it. After accompanying her to her door, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small decorative box.

"One last thing." He said, clearing his throat and holding up the box to her. She looked between him and the box disapprovingly, but accepted it. She peeled off the wrapping and cracked the box open, but paused, looking inside confusedly.

"A key?" She said, picking up the skeleton key.

"I figured a skeleton key would suit you more, as Steph had been so kind to inform me of your... dungeons and dragons games." He said, looking at her as if she was a child. She gave him a playful glare but smiled. "But that's not really the gift. I like useful things, and this definitely has a use." He said. That excited her. She loved the feeling of a skeleton key, but even more, turning one. She didn't care what it was she was opening, it was just something about using one that made her revert to a five year old on the inside.

He followed her inside, then started down the back hall, pausing halfway there and turning to meet her gaze. He took on a more serious look and addressed her.

"When... When I first met Jiro... He made a wish for you. He wanted you to be happy. To smile always. I wanted to give you that. This gift... It's not just from me. It's from him as well." He said, backing towards Jiro's old room. The doorknob had been changed and Sakura could see it was an old fashioned lock. She moved forward and placed the key inside, turning it slowly and glancing up at Kaiba before entering.

With a nod from him, she walked into the room and immediately froze. Her hand made it's way up to her mouth and she looked around the room breathlessly. Her fingers trembled as she brushed them across the new desks lining the room.

It had been completely transformed. Sleek steel desks and tables were placed along the walls with organizers and drawers built in and on top, filled with different materials. On the long desk just across from the door there were a few organizers on top, filled with high quality paper, ink and paints. In the drawers were pencils, charcoal, pastels, chalks, markers and pens, all of the highest quality. Next to the desk was a large cabinet filled with fabrics and spools of thread.

Along the back wall there was a smaller table with a sewing machine built in. She ran her fingers across the smooth metal body of it and moved to the next table. It had a paper cutter on it along with two organizers filled with card stock of every design and color. In the small drawers under the table she found empty photo books and specialized edging scissors, double sided tape, and pattern punches.

Kaiba moved to the closet and opened it, ushering her towards it to look inside. Canvases of every size and shape stood neatly next to two large easels and one desk easel.

"He hinted that you were happiest when you made art, and I agree with him. I've seen how it makes you smile. I've heard you humming while sketching. Which reminds me." She looked at him incredulously and watched as he reached into a drawer and pulled out a remote. He aimed it at a panel by the door that she had overlooked and hit a button. The panel flipped over, showing off a neat tablet computer. "I've put my library of music into it. Speakers are wired throughout the room, and even if you don't like my music, it has the ability to surf the web and go on sites like pandora and youtube." He said, handing her the remote. She took it and placed it on the closest desk to her.

After a few moments of standing still and not saying anything, he began to wonder if he had made the right move. She turned to face him, an uncertain look on her face. Her hands were still shaking and she looked ready to cry. He opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by her hugging him.

"This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done. I... I don't know what to say." He smiled and put his arms around her. He loved making her happy. It was intoxicating. He wondered for a moment if it was normal, but tossed aside the thought, deciding that he didn't care anymore. "You're a lot better at this 'friend' thing than you let on." She said pulling away and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I had help."

* * *

><p>Over the next few days he noticed Sakura was in unusually high spirits. He was glad to see it too. It was about time that girl had some joy in her life. She had been one of the hardest workers and most devoted people he had ever known, and he was pleased with himself for helping her find some happiness.<p>

The doors to Kaiba Corp. would be closing soon and not long after he would be driving her home. He had no more appointments for the rest of the week and his disk technology was finally done. Things were looking up. If he was a superstitious man, he would assume his luck was about to run out soon. After all, nothing good lasts this long, right? Suddenly his intercom buzzed into life, but the voice he heard was not the one he expected.

"And you're going to get him to let us in, got it?" A man asked angrily.

"I cant just ask him to let in a bunch of random men, he'll tell me to get lost." Sakura's voice responded. He flipped open his laptop and accessed the security cameras. What he saw made his blood run cold. Three men stood over Sakura. She had her hands splayed across the keyboard, holding down the specific keys required to override the intercom while one of the men waved a gun in her face. She was alerting him on purpose.

He immediately hit the silent alarm under his desk and readied himself for her next move.

"You will find a way to get him to unlock that door, or I swear I'll just shoot you then shoot my way in. Now do it." The man said, holding the gun against her cheek as he spoke and making Kaiba tense. She released the keyboard, slowly moving towards the real intercom, and pressed the button.

"Sir, I need to get in your office for the... Battle City financial files." She said a little shakily.

"Fine." He replied, hitting the button that unlocked the door. He watched as the men grabbed Sakura, holding the gun to her back as she was forced to lead them through the door. The men entered Kaiba's office using Sakura as a shield. Kaiba rose as they moved in and closed the door and locked it behind them.

"I'm sorry..." Sakura looked at him with shame in her eyes but he knew it wasn't her fault. The man holding her tossed her aside, landing her on a small couch.

"What do we do with her?" The one with a gun asked.

"Just shoot her. We don't need her anymore." Sakura's eyes widened as the gun was raised and aimed at her.

"No!" Kaiba jumped up, stopping them. "Injure her and you get nothing." He said through gritted teeth.

"Hah, I see how it is." One of the unarmed ones said, moving forward, glancing between both Sakura and Kaiba.

"What do you want?" Kaiba demanded. The men looked over him in amusement.

"Ten signed blank checks from at least three different banks." They said, now pointing the gun at him. He glared at them as he unlocked a draw and reached in. He pulled out three checkbooks and signed a number of each.

"Don't give them anything!" Sakura shouted, earning a hard blow to the head.

"Don't touch her!" He yelled, watching her fall and hold her head. The men were about to grab the checks when the doors to his office began to rattle. They all turned to the door and could hear the shouting of the security guards just outside when Kaiba hit the button to unlock the door. The men turned back to Kaiba, but not in time. He had already closed the distance between them and grabbed for the gun, pointing it away from Sakura.

The weapon fired once, making Sakura cry out and, but Kaiba still had it away from her. He punched the man holding it across the face hard, and the man stumbled backwards, dropping the thing. The security guards had already entered and grabbed them, removing the threats from the situation. Kaiba dropped the gun and turned to Sakura, helping her up and pulling her against him.

His left arm circled her, squeezing her close to him. She grabbed hold of the lapels of his coat and hugged him back, still shaking. She looked down, away from him, but something caught her eye. His right arm dangled lifelessly at his side.

"Your arm..." She said, her eyes finally finding the bullet wound. He glanced down at it and sighed.

"I'll live." He lifted his good arm, guiding her face to his. "I could have lost you." He said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. His lips closed in around hers, making her gasp into his mouth, but soon enough, she fell into the kiss, unable, no, unwilling to pull herself back.

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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

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"This... Isn't exactly a friend acti-" She tried, breaking from the kiss only to be silenced by another. She brought her hands up and around his neck. She just felt right up against him. He knew this was where she belonged. With him. In his arms. It was just... right.

"Um... Sir..." Kaiba pulled back and turned to the security guard that addressed him. Both he and Sakura straightened themselves. Sakura looked away, a blush apparent on her face while Kaiba stood tall and professional.

"Everything has been recorded. The intercom records every message automatically, and when I hit the silent alarm, it triggers the security cameras, audio and video. I'll send someone to collect them now." He informed them. The rest of the night was spent giving written and spoken accounts of what exactly took place in the building. Afterward they were taken to the hospital where Sakura was examined and released with a mild concussion and Kaiba got his arm stitched and bandaged up.

"Thank you..." She said quietly. They were finally free and he had driven her home and escorted her inside.

"For what?" He glanced down at her and she smiled, but didn't look up.

"You... you saved me." She shuffled her feet beneath her.

"Actually, you saved us." He finally coaxed her into looking at him. "If you hadn't thought to use the intercom bug, I wouldn't have been able to alert security in time."

"But you were still hurt." She said, eyes wandering over his arm. He lifted her chin forcing her to face him.

"You're still alive. That's what matters." he leaned into her again, brushing his lips against hers. She pulled back and looked at him for a moment, confusing him in the process.

"What... are we?" He continued to look at her, speechless. "Are we friends? A boss and his employee? What?"

"I... I was hoping for something a bit more." There. He said it. He put it all on the line. He waited the few endless seconds for her response in an internal struggle.

"More... like..." She started, trailing off.

"Sakura, you understand me. You can read me like a book and I've never met someone like yo-"

"Ok." She cut his rambling off. She had never seen him stumble over his words like that before. He wasn't used to asking girls out, that much was obvious. She smiled up at him and he pulled her against him. He flashed her the most brilliant smile she had ever seen before kissing her deeply. He pulled away, brushing his fingers across her cheek gently. "Wait!" she called out, stopping him from putting on his coat. "Can... can you stay... a little longer?" She asked, feeling vulnerable.

He looked at her with concern and offered a sympathetic smile. She was still shaken from the events earlier that day, and he wanted to be with her, to comfort her. He just hoped he could. He walked her over to the couch and she curled up, snuggling against him. He stayed with her, sitting silently next to her until she fell asleep. Smiling down at her, he lifted her gently. His injured arm stung, but he wanted to continue. He moved her to her own bed, placing her carefully down and kissing her forehead as he tucked her in. He glanced back once more before shutting her door and locking up her home.

* * *

><p>Ever since the attempted blackmail, theft and attack, Kaiba reinforced his security measures in Kaiba Corp. It gave Sakura a little peace of mind and made him feel more secure knowing there was more being done to prevent what happened last time from happening again. While at work they remained professional and civil, but once work was over, he made sure to take her everywhere with him. Partially because he wanted to spend time with her, and partially because he wanted to make sure nothing happened to her.<p>

Now that they were open with their relationship the media was all over them. He was afraid one of his enemies, or possibly just a thief would do something to her. Mokuba had been kidnapped a few times and threatened, so he was used to feeling on edge. He just couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her because of him. Again.

The few months left at Domino high were a breeze. Kaiba graduated valedictorian and Sakura salutatorian, giving them the top two spots in their class. Kaiba held a small party at his mansion for her and her friends, and afterward took her out and got her a gift. He wanted to spoil her. Everything he did now had her in mind. He actually found himself a little unmotivated towards his tournament, but after his encounter with that woman...

A visiting specialist on Egyptian studies in the Domino Museum had contacted him, informing him of a few rare and powerful cards. The God cards. She also spewed some crap about past lives and destiny, but he didn't really pay attention to it. He was interested in the power of the god cards. With them he could defeat Yugi, reclaim his champion status and put his childhood... behind him.

He would have preferred Sakura to join him in the details of the tournament, but all she wanted to help with was the locational planning and financial filing. It was a little depressing that she didn't share all of his passions, but she did what she could. He couldn't ask for more.

One of the projects she was actually interested in helping him with was the virtual reality game. They were able to make the landscapes first and the vendors and peasants were next to come. He put in some of the plot devices and was ready to run a test drive.

"Make sure everything runs smoothly. Keep track of the plot line coding and I'll report graphical issues as I encounter them." He said to Sakura, then turned to Mokuba. "Monitor my vitals." His little brother was happy to help. They buckled him into the pod and turned the machine on. Once inside they watched as he tested the functions of his gaming abilities.

He looked around at the landscape Sakura created and smiled. It looked, felt and even smelled real. He shook his head and got back to the functionality of the game. The first thing he wanted to do was summon and behold his favorite creature, the Blue Eyes White Dragon. He pulled the card from his virtual deck and held it up, summoning the magnificent beast before him. But something was wrong. Sakura watched as the lines of code didn't match with those she had seen programmed in before.

She watched on the monitor as a dragon capture jar was put into play, removing the blue eyes from the field.

"What's happening?" Mokuba asked, watching as another creature approached. Suddenly Kaiba disappeared from the screen completely. "Big brother!" Mokuba stood as the doors to the observation room opened. Two men entered, eyes set on Sakura and Mokuba.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sakura demanded, but realized who they were. Two of the top five executives of Kaiba Corp. The five that plotted with Pegasus to abduct Mokuba. Kaiba was supposed to fire them, so why were they there?... unless they were about to get their hands dirty a second time. "Mokuba get out of here!" Sakura screamed, turning to the boy.

"No, get over here!" One of the men said, reaching for him. Sakura ran to block them and successfully knocked them off path, but they took her with them to the ground. She looked up in time to see Mokuba run off. She rose and locked the door, entering in the highest code security she could. He men threw her aside and tried their own codes, but they had already been removed from the system. They slammed their fists and cursed, but turned back to her.

"You're going to pay for that." They said, lifting her and blindfolding her. They dragged her through the back door and out a different exit, unable to follow Mokuba through the exit he had left through. She felt herself being placed in a car, driving somewhere and being pulled into a building. Once inside, she was bound to an uncomfortable chair, her hands and feet duct taped to the arms and legs of the seat. There, they left her. She knew hours had passed since they locked her away, but couldn't tell how many.

"What is Kaiba's over ride pass code?" One asked.

"I don't know." She said honestly.

"You're Kaiba's personal secretary, you should know all of the high level codes." She did know them, but she wouldn't give them anything.

"Do you really think he'd trust anyone that much? I may be his secretary, but he's had many. I wasn't the first and I wont be the last."

"But you're also his girlfriend."

"Now I am, but when I'm of no use to him, he'll move on. He's done it before and he'll do it again. What do you think would happen if he told every girlfriend of every little thing about him? Half the supermodels of the world would know his secrets." She said, making them glance between themselves. "He's not that stupid."

"So you're into him for the money?" Another thought out loud, shifting in his seat. She didn't like where this was going but decided to continue.

"You kidnap and blackmail, I prefer an easier method. If you hadn't noticed, he gives me everything I look at." She huffed, trying to look more upset than scared. The men looked amongst themselves again. She couldn't quite see their faces, as the lighting was poor, but she hoped they were considering letting her go.

"We wish we could believe you. You could have made a wonderful ally. You're quick witted. Good with words." Sakura did not like where this was going one bit. The man paced around her as he spoke, circling and getting closer with every pass. "You're smart and diligent, but most of all... Loyal." He slammed his hands on the arms of the chair she was seated in, hovering over her menacingly.

"You could have been such a wonderful asset. You still can. Tell us the over ride codes. We'll give you a cut. If you really want the money, you'll take our offer. Kaiba is gone, no matter what. Your free ticket is up. You can take one last cut. Will you?"

"He never gave me access to them." She said, trying to sound defeated. She didn't know where they would go next with the interrogation, but she wanted out as soon as possible.

"Then... You have no use to us." The five rose and moved out of the room, leaving her there to wonder if she had made a mistake.

* * *

><p>Kaiba woke from the pod, upset that Yugi had to come and save him again, but even more furious with the five and their goons. He moved to the extra pod chamber for his little brother. He passed Mai and Joey on the way in, ignoring them and nodding to Yugi who was behind them.<p>

"Big brother!" He cried, jumping up into his arms.

"Are you alright Mokuba?" The boy looked as if he was about to cry.

"Now that you're free we need to save Sakura!" Kaiba froze, as did Yugi, Joey and Mai.

"What about Sakura?" Joey asked from behind. The question had been right at the tip of Kaiba's tongue, but he was unable to form the words.

"She sacrificed herself to get me out! They took her. I don't know where she is." Mokuba said sadly. Kaiba rose, his muscles tense and face stern. If the five were controlling their counterparts in the virtual reality, then they were somewhere in the building. He knew what he needed to do.

He grabbed his briefcase from the observation room Sakura had been taken from and moved to the parking lot. Mokuba, Yugi, Joey and Mai followed the enraged CEO and watched him type something into the parking console. The gates on every entrance began to close and they heard a motor in the distance. A car was racing down from the top of the parking garage, trying desperately to beat the gates.

"The gates wont hold them!" Joey yelled, but Kaiba was too busy. He reached in his briefcase and pulled out a checkbook. "What the hell are ya doing? I don't think they're gonna stop for money." Kaiba would have glared at the boy if he had time. He ripped the book out of it's leather case and as the car passed them to ram through the wooden cross gate, he slapped the thing onto the back of the car. The glue from the back of the book instantly stuck to the car's body as they sped off. "What the hell was that?"

"That was my fake checkbook. It has a tracking device inside in case I get mugged." Yugi, Joey and Mai all looked at him in amazement. "This isn't over. Now we have to follow the signal." He said, climbing into a car of his own. "Mokuba, I need you in my office as my navigator." The boy nodded and ran towards the building as The rest of the group climbed into the car. They got out of the parking lot, turning the same direction they saw the big five's car go just in time for Mokuba's voice to ring out in the car.

" Third left, then first right. Sashimoto Ave, then Futori." Kaiba slammed on the gas, speeding off while following Mokuba's directions. He followed them to a decent house in a normal neighborhood. He stepped out of the vehicle, noting the car in the driveway as the one he had slapped his checkbook on. Where he had attached the checks, was a big pink burst of paint. On the ground, the book laid utterly useless, but it had gotten the job done. A trail of pink paint lead to the back of the house.

"What... is that?" Joey asked, looking at the paint as Kaiba walked on.

"Ink pack. It explodes when someone touches the book after I trigger it." He said calmly, finally reaching a bulkhead door. He turned back to the rest of them and sighed. They weren't exactly the crew he'd choose to fight off his enemies, but time was short and he had to work with what he had. "Ready?" He asked, hoping they wouldn't do something to jeopardize anything. They nodded quietly and he took a deep breath. The doors to the bulkhead flew open easily and he charged down the stairs, followed by the rest of the gang.

There he saw them. Three of them immediately ran up the stairs to go farther into the house while two were caught lifting a bound and blindfolded girl. Kaiba rushed forward, his fist connecting with the first man's jaw and grabbing Sakura's arm. Joey charged the other one, giving Kaiba the chance to rip the blindfold off of her and to tear away the duct tape on her wrists. Once she saw him and was able, she pulled him into a tight hug. He patted her back, but his mind was elsewhere.

"Not yet." He kicked the man he had recently hit across the face, knocking him out cold, and moved up the stairs. He chased them outside, but was too late. The cops had already got them. Kaiba smirked as he realized Mokuba had called them, giving them the final location of the checkbook, and giving him proper backup. He turned back and saw Mai helping Sakura peel the rest of the duct tape off of her ankles and Yugi and Joey holding down the last of the big five.

Their reign was over. Now, he would never have to deal with them again.

"Are all your tests this... exciting?" Sakura asked, stepping forward. "Because if so, I think I'm going to demand some hazard pay." She smiled while leaning up to him and he pulled her into a kiss.

"Whatever you want."

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**Another section of plot down. I finally got to use the checkbook thing. I've had it in my head that he would be crafty like that. Though, I've always had the scene as 'Kaiba's pulled into an allyway where he cant fight off his attackers. They demand his money/wallet/checkbook and he "complies". Gives them fake checkbook, they run off, and ten seconds later, in the middle of the crowd the checkbook explodes in a pink burst of marker paint like the kind banks use on a stack of bills' I've been waiting a year to use this in a story. He is a genius after all, he can think on his feet. He's like a younger cuter and richer Macgyver! Anywho, woot another chappie up. **

**I've been thinking of doing a Yu Gi Oh/Pokemon fic... to pay homage to my childhood. Another story I've been wanting to do for like...10 years. It uses the pokemon universe, not necessarily the plot, and the yu gi oh charactors. Is it worth putting up? Will anyone read it? Let me know! Obviously it's a SetoXSerenity fic. as that's my favorite duo, so I was thinking Adventure/Romance? What do you all think?  
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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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Battle City had finally begun. The big five were out of the way, and Kaiba Corp was making it's big duel disk debut. Sakura decided this time she wanted nothing to do with any of the activities going on, and resigned herself to her desk throughout the entire ordeal. She kept up to date with the ending outcome of the duels, rooting for Kaiba at any chance, but didn't actually pay attention to any of the moves anyone made. Once they entered the blimp, the winners of the duels were no longer announced and she was left to work without any in-tel on how Kaiba was doing. She didn't mind much though.

She began to worry when they started running late, over two days off schedule, but heard from them soon enough. She didn't hear the outcome, but Kaiba didn't sound happy. She began to wonder if he would ever grow up, but smiled to herself as the thought of his dedication to something he loved warmed her. He could have his games. It was better than being obsessed with gambling, alcohol, or women. At least she thought so until he called her with the results of the tournament.

"What do you mean, destroyed?" She said into her cell phone.

"We've... initiated the self destruct sequence." She heard him say and she paused.

"Wait.., you've initiated... you're not still there are you?" She cried out, but she couldn't hear his voice over a large explosion in the background. "S-Seto?"

"We're fine." She could hear Mokuba hooting and hollering in the back. Her heart finally started beating again as she found they were safe.

Once back on land, and in his office it was time for the lecture.

"Seto Kaiba!" Sakura said, marching into his office and slamming the door behind her. "What exactly did you think you were doing? You could have seriously injured yourself and all the other people on that island." She nearly shouted.

"That island was going to be destroyed one way or another. I just preferred to do it myself."

"Why?"

"Because..." His eyes darkened. "It used to be Gozaburo's." She felt the venom in his tone.

"He's... gone." She pointed out, but he shook his head. He didn't want to talk about everything that had happened while the battle city went on. The virtual world. Noah... Gozaburo... no it was too painful. A hand placed itself on his shoulder shaking him from his nightmares. "Seto... what's wrong?" He sighed. What would she think of him? He had been weak before. Gozaburo had drained all the happiness out of him. Turned him cold. Made him distant. And that island... that was his. Kaiba wanted nothing to remain of his adoptive father. He wanted so badly to make a stand there on that island. To prove himself in something he loved and he failed. "Seto?"

"He was a monster." He could feel Sakura's eyes on him, but couldn't bring himself to meet them. She rubbed his back and knelt next to him.

"He's dead. Whatever he did to you... he cant reach you now." She had no idea.

"There's a part of him that will never let go of me. He made me who I am, and as much as I like being where I am today, I would have preferred to have lived a normal life." He said sadly.

"Seto, nothing about you would have ever been normal." She said, smiling up at him. "You're too brilliant." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"That's the problem." He said clenching his fists. "He wanted me because I was smart. I should have kept it a secret. I should have been quieter. I was so naive. Such a child. An easy target."

"What are you talking about, Seto?" She tried to stroke his arm, to soothe him, but he pulled away. He couldn't stand being touched while thinking of _him_.

"He was a monster." He said quietly. She in took a breath suddenly and he knew she had figured it out. Now all he could do was close his eyes and wait. Did she think he was weak? Pathetic? A broken child with a dysfunctional psyche? He felt her fingers trace his jaw and winced. When he opened his eyes he could see the pity in hers. It was worse than he could have imagined. She pulled him into a tight hug and he sighed and looked away, feeling utterly worthless.

"Seto Kaiba... I'm glad you destroyed it. I'm sorry about what happened to you. But you're different now. I cant imagine the pain you could cause to anyone stupid enough to try and fight you today. You're still brilliant but now you're strong and powerful too. How can anyone ever hurt you now?" She said, making him freeze up completely. He looked over her and she smiled at him. She had somehow found the words he never thought existed. Words of comfort that were free of anything that would make him feel feeble. He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her head.

"They could take you from me." He answered honestly, and she pulled back enough to face him.

"Never."

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><p>Now that the tournament was over, Kaiba was in full forward drive with his virtual reality game. He went over everything he had done previously, fixing all the altercations the big five had made, and any bugs he experienced while inside. He wasn't about to test it again any time soon, which was disappointing, but he didn't want to take another risk.<p>

He finished going over a file for the newest area he had created and checked the time. He looked confusedly between his clock and his office door. It was already fifteen past eight and he hadn't heard anything from Sakura yet. Normally the second eight rolled around she came into his office to 'save' him from overworking. He smirked at how she was always thinking of him as he packed up his things and exited his office. He glanced around but she wasn't at her desk. He went towards the employees lounge, but once he rounded her desk his breath caught in his throat.

She was sprawled across the floor, unconscious. The papers she was holding lay scattered around her, clipboard and pen still in her now loose grip. He rushed to her side, bending to take her pulse. It beat strong and he moved to check her breathing. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air. She seemed alright, except for the fact that she was strewn about the floor. He lifted her head and shook her gently, calling her name, but she wouldn't wake.

He had little other choice, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"I need an ambulance at Kaiba Corp." He told the emergency dispatch. After staying on the line and informing them of everything he knew, which wasn't much at all, he dialed her emergency contact and best friend. The ambulance beat Steph there, but he called her again to let her know where to meet.

"Sir, I cant let you in, you're not listed as her emergency contact." The doctor said, holding a hand up and refusing to let Kaiba pass.

"You idiot, do you know who I am? I'm her boyfriend, so let me see her!" He demanded, but the doctor wouldn't waver. He could hear Steph calling through the halls and waved her over. "They wont let me in." He said, staring angrily at the doctor.

"I'm Stephanie, Her emergency contact." She said and the doctor checked her ID and stepped aside. Once she was in he moved back, barring Kaiba from entering. "I'll see what I can do to get you in." She said, looking back at him. He glared at the man, but nodded.

"Take care of her." He said before moving away from the door and watching everything that took place through the glass of the window that separated them. Doctors went in and out, but refused to tell him anything. He watched Steph pace around and cast worried glances at him through the window, only pausing to rub Sakura's arm, or squeeze her hand. After a few hours of waiting, the doctor finally made his way in to the room. Steph looked to him hopefully, and Kaiba watched as the doctor began putting up some x-rays that he couldn't quite make out from that distance and angle.

The doctor had barely begun explaining when Sakura shifted. Kaiba could feel his blood rush as he watched Steph move to her and help her sit up. After a few simple tests to see how cognitive Sakura was, Kaiba watched the doctor begin again. He pointed to a few places on the x-rays that Kaiba couldn't see, and Steph sucked her lips into her mouth and looked at Sakura, who could only sit in shock.

Kaiba felt something hard well up in his gut. Not knowing was destroying him. The doctor moved towards the door, finally opening it and Kaiba could catch the last bit of what he was saying.

"I'm sorry. I'll give you some time now to process this. I'll be back in a little bit." He closed the door and turned to face Kaiba.

"I don't care what patient confidentiality says, what's wrong with her?" He demanded. He was going to get answers. He didn't care how anymore.

"I... I'm sorry sir. But she is awake now. If she wants to tell you, you are free to ask her. I just cant make that decision for her." The doctor said, trying to scoot away. Kaiba didn't care if he left anymore, he wouldn't give him what he wanted to know. He looked up and saw Sakura, still sitting in the same position with the same face full of shock. Slowly, her head turned down and her eyes began darting about the room in search for something. He watched her mouth something and Steph nodded, tears falling from her eyes.

As Steph left, she couldn't bring herself to face him. She stuttered out a few incomprehensible words and moved down the hall. As Kaiba watched her a noise ripped his eyes back to Sakura. He could barely hear her cry through the thick glass, but it was enough to gain his attention as he watched her bring her hands to her face, covering it. He opened the door, moving in and closing it behind him.

He grabbed her hands, trying to remove them from her face, but she wouldn't let go. She sobbed loudly into her palms as he glanced back and saw the x-rays. They were of her head. A large white mass sat in the center of the frame, towards the base of her skull. A tumor. He looked back at her and felt his heart stop. It must have been some mistake. These x-rays must have been switched with someone else's.

"Sakura..." He mumbled against her. She continued to cry, but leaned into him and accepted his embrace.

"Why?" She finally managed. "There... there was only a five percent chance. Do you know how small that is?" She cried, looking up at him. Her face was red and swollen and her eyes were bloodshot. He stroked a few stray hairs behind her ear, but couldn't find the words for what he was feeling. "It's not fair! I've worked so hard... I wanted... I wanted to do so much... It's not fair!" His heart broke then and there. Hearing her so utterly defeated. She wasn't a quitter. She didn't just roll over and take it. Seeing and hearing her like this... he couldn't bear it.

"There has to be something they can do. Surgery?" She shook her head.

"It's too close to the brain stem. The chances of me dying or becoming a vegetable are near one hundred percent." She sniffled.

"Chemo?"

"My tumor wont respond..."

"Radiation?" He was desperate, but she shook her head again.

"It's too big and will damage the brain and brain stem around the tumor. It'll only shrink it as well. It'll still be there. They cant do anything." Now he was angry. There had to be something. Some measure they could take. Steph re-entered the room, still teary eyed, and hugged her friend.

It was early in the morning when Sakura was released. Kaiba and Steph stayed by her side the entire time. They questioned the doctor as much as they could, but Sakura knew the full gist of it. She had just gone through it for the last few years, but now... it was her turn. Kaiba spent all of his time, hiring the best of the best for second opinions and any possible treatments, but they all came back the same.

The verdict was final. Sakura had two to five years before the brain tumor would claim her life.

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**So this was such an important chapter that I ended up writing the whole thing in just under an hour and a half. Wow... Also, very very sad chappie. The whole 'tragedy' genre part is finally showing itself again. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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Kaiba was having trouble focusing at work. The weekend had passed and no matter what he tried or who he hired, he got the same answer every time. Sakura would die. He didn't want to accept it. He couldn't. But it seemed as if she already had. During the tests and all his attempts to find a new method to remove the tumor she sat lifelessly. She never told him no. Never tried to stop him, but she was just torn up inside.

He went over it all again in his mind, hoping to wake soon and have it all be just a bad dream. When he opened his eyes Sakura was standing before him.

"It's five past." She said with an empty voice. He glanced at the clock and it was true. Where had the time gone? He nodded absently and started packing up, but something caught his eye. A paper on his desk. He watched as she slid it towards him, then looked up at her questioningly. She only looked at the page. His eyes scanned the document and he froze.

"Wh... Why?" His eyes darted up to her and he had a pained look in his face.

"I want to do all the things I've never been able to. I really loved working for you, but now... I just... I don't think I can." She watched him nod and slowly put the paper into the employee files. "Also..." He looked up but her eyes wouldn't meet his. "I... I'm leaving."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think it's best... If we don't see each other anymore." Tears lined her eyes and she still couldn't meet his gaze. He rose suddenly, startling her, and rounded his desk. She let him pull her against him, but didn't return the embrace.

"Sakura, don't. Don't leave. Don't do this." He begged. He didn't think he could go on without her. She was to big a part of him now.

"Seto, it's not fair. I don't want you to go through what I did. I've seen it starting. The panic. The hope that a cure will show itself. I couldn't stop you. You wouldn't have stopped even if I tried." He knew that was true. He still wouldn't. "But I've been there. Searching. Waiting. Trying my damnedest. But it didn't come. I lost my brother. And now I know there is nothing left. I'm going to die. And I don't want you dragged through the pain and hurt like I was."

"Sakura, this is going to hurt me whether you leave now or I lose you to this. I'd rather spend as much time with you as I have then lose you now to spare me. I don't care if you want to quit. You can do whatever you want. Just don't leave me." She opened her mouth to argue farther, but he continued. " I... I don't chase girls. Never have. I lived like I could get anyone. And it was true. I could walk down the street and pick out a girl, and be sure she would come home with me. If she didn't, I'd move on, knowing there was always the next girl. I don't play the cat and mouse game. But... You are the only exception. For you, I would go anywhere. So tell me. What do I have to do? Where do I have to go? I'll do it. I'll go there. Just tell me so I can have you. Be with you. I love you."

"Seto..." He was more than she could have ever wanted.

"Sakura, if Jiro gave you the chance to leave... To not suffer with him in his last time here, would you have left?" Sakura's head sunk down low and she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. She would never have left him. No matter what. Kaiba wouldn't leave her. No matter what. "I'll miss working with you. You were the best secretary I've ever had. And... I'm going to miss seeing you where I work." He said sadly. She hugged him, finally returning his embrace and he sighed.

"I love you." the words barely floated to his ear, but he knew them to be true. He wouldn't let her go. He wouldn't let her be alone. He would stay with her until the end.

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><p>Sakura woke to the beeping of a machine. Had she passed out again? She definitely recognized the hospital. She'd been there so many times, the smell, the sight, the sounds, they were unmistakeable. Where was Steph? She was her emergency contact. She wouldn't have left her until she woke.<p>

But she felt fine. Actually, reminiscing on the day before, a smile came to her lips. Kaiba loved her so much. He wouldn't let her go, and that warmed her. She would still prefer him not to see her die slowly, but having him was a comfort she didn't think she could afford to lose. A nurse poked her head in the room and greeted Sakura.

"Ah, finally awake, how are you feeling?" The nurse said, opening the blinds and letting in the light.

"I feel fine. Can I leave now, I know what caused me to pass out." The nurse paused and sighed.

"First, can you tell me the date?" The nurse asked. They had asked her brother that all the time when he passed out so Sakura shrugged and complied.

"January 24th, 2012." She answered, figuring she had been asleep for a day or so. The nurse smiled and tilted her head.

"Mr. Kaiba is on his way, so just sit tight." The nurse said, bowing and leaving before Sakura could get another word out.

The nurse rounded the corner and went behind the nursing station, but barely a minute passed before she saw the famous CEO marching down the hall followed by a younger Kaiba attached at his hand.

"How is she?" He asked quietly. The nurse gave him a small smile.

"She believes it's January 24th, 2012." Kaiba looked down and sighed.

"Stay with the nurse." He said to the younger one, and the nurse offered her hand to him. Kaiba moved to the room Sakura was in and turned into it. She was sitting on the bed, as beautiful as ever, and looked up to him. Her smile warmed him and he gave her a gentle kiss before pulling a chair next to her bed.

"Seto, cant I leave now? I feel fine." In truth, she was a little tired, but other than that, she just wanted to go home.

"Sakura... you cant leave." She glanced at him confusedly and began to get uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her.

"Why?"

"Because... it's not January. It's not even 2012. You cant remember. The tumor is pressing on the memory section of your brain." Sakura's chest felt tight and knotted. Kaiba moved to her and held her trembling hands as she absorbed the information.

"Wh-What time... what year is it?" She looked to him and he could see the panic in her eyes.

"It's 2019. October 21st." Her breathing stopped. Seven years had passed? How was that possible?

"But the doctors... they said-"

"I've been able to find treatments to prolong your life, but nothing to cure it. You're still dying." he finished, hanging his head and holding her hands against his lips.

"You've been here the whole time..." She thought out loud. He smiled and squeezed her hands.

"More than that." He said, his fingers tracing hers until they settled on a little gold ring. She looked intently at the ring, then her eyes darted to his hand where a similar one sat.

"When?" She had gotten married? And she couldn't even remember it. How awful was she?

"October 19th, 2013." he brushed away the tears that lined her eyes. He was used to breaking the news by now. It was still difficult to watch her go through it over and over, but he wasn't about to back out now.

"I'm so sorry! I cant remember any of it. The most important day of my life..." He guided her eyes to his and smiled.

"Second most important." She gave him a questioning look as he turned to the door. "Jiro." He called, thoroughly confusing her. The nurse entered, holding the hand of a small boy. He couldn't be more than four years old. Kaiba lifted the young boy easily and he giggled, turning to her.

"Mommy!" The boy raised his arms in a 'Hold me!' fashion and Sakura could do little but reach out to him. He looked like her brother when he was young. The short brown hair and the warm chocolate eyes. He hugged her sweetly and she could feel her breathing becoming ragged. She looked up at Kaiba... Her husband, and the tears could no longer be held back. The little boy pulled back, looking at her and she saw herself in his eyes. "Mama, why do you always cry when you see me?" Her heart broke right there and then. She couldn't tell the boy, her son, the truth. That his mother forgot all about him. She kissed his head and smiled.

"Because, I'm just so happy to see you." The boy looked from her to his father and back and smiled.

"I missed you too!" He hugged her again and she felt warm inside. This little boy. This little angle. He was perfect. He was the most beautiful child she had ever seen and she knew he was hers. She loved the boy. She couldn't even remember him and she loved him.

"Hey, maybe you can help the nurse get mommy some water?" She asked sweetly and the boy was almost too happy to help. He ran off and took the nurses hand, moving out into the hall. Once he was out of sight, she fell, sobbing into her hands again. Kaiba's arms circled her and she clung to him. It must have killed him to have to watch this over and over.

"Am I always this bad?"

"No. Sometimes you remember everything. Sometimes you don't even remember working for me. It's not half as bad as when you thought you were still in a relationship with Wheeler." he said in disgust, and she actually almost laughed. "I never know how much I have to break to you when I come in. Sometimes, we talk about the last time I visited. Sometimes I have to tell you about your brother." She looked up at him with sorrow in her eyes.

"How... long do I have left." Kaiba fell silent. This question was the one he hated most. She looked at him expectantly and he had no choice.

"Any day now." he watched as she sucked in her sadness and nodded.

"Seto... I love you." He smiled, already knowing what she said was true. "You're the most amazing man I've ever met. I'm glad you're the one who's been with me this whole time. I'm sorry I couldn't be more." He shook his head, about to say something when little Jiro came back in, barely holding a cup of water. She spent the rest of the day with her family and when they finally had to leave, she didn't want to say goodbye.

"I'll be back tomorrow." Kaiba said, kissing her forehead.

"Seto?" He paused, looking at her. "I love you. I always will. Don't ever forget that." He smiled and nodded. When they were gone Sakura stopped the nurse.

"Yes?" She turned to the patient, waiting for what she needed.

"What do these do?" She asked, pointing to the machines she was hooked up to.

"This one monitors your vitals, this one keeps you hydrated in case you pass out for the day and cant drink enough water, and... this one is the medicine that keeps your tumor from swelling." The nurse said, pointing to the respective machines.

"From swelling?"

"Yes, the tumor would normally be about one and a half times the size. It would be fatal at that size, so we use this to control it."

"What would happen if it was turned off? How long would it take for the tumor to swell?" the nurse paused, but answered the question.

"It would take an hour or two before the meds passed through your system, and then the swelling would begin immediately. You... wouldn't make it to morning." Sakura nodded and looked at her hands, lightly touching the ring on her finger.

"Turn it off."

"But..."

"Please. I'm going to die any day now anyways. I cant make them go through that again. I wont. Do it." The nurse hesitated, but couldn't deny her. There was no cure for her. Only treatments for the symptoms. It was her decision. "But-" Sakura said before she could unplug the machine. "Don't tell them until the morning. Don't wake them. Let them sleep." The nurse nodded again. The machine's buzzing faded as the power was cut, and now it was only a matter of time. She grabbed a pen and some paper and began to write.

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><p>-<em>Dear Seto, <em>

_You've made my life worth living. I know you've been taking wonderful care of me, but I cant be a burden on you any longer. The thought of making you go through this every day... It destroys me more than my illness ever could. Don't be upset with the nurses, I asked them to remove the medicine. I also asked them to give you the night's worth of rest. I wanted it this way. I know I haven't had much control over my life, and I wanted at least this much. I hope you understand. I don't want to fear death anymore. I don't want to worry about not being able to say goodbye. _

_Goodbye. I love you. Take care of our son. He's so much like you. I hope he'll remember me well. _

_Jiro,_

_I love you so much. You are so wonderful and sweet. Never let go of that. Be strong, work hard in everything you do, but don't forget kindness. Just know that your mother wants nothing more than for you to be happy. I love you. I always will. _

_Goodbye, my boys. I just cant express how much you mean to me. I love you._

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**So... sad ending. The first I've ever written. I hope it's not too cheesy. This ends another of my fics. I hope you guys will continue to read my work in the future. **

**The first chapter of my pokemon/yugioh SetoXserenity fic is up. It's called "To Answer It's Call". Also I've posted a picture of Sakura's goodbye kiss to Seto on my deviantart account. Link to my page is in my profile. I've also got pics inspired from the fic "Last Night of the Kings" and from the pokemon fic. If you're interested, check them out and let me know what you think.  
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**Dont forget to review the last chappie and tell me what you think of the fic.  
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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


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